| Ducat |
Gold and silver coins widely circulated in Europe from medieval times. The first were issued around 1140 by Roger II of Sicily, as Duke of Apulia; the word Ducat came from ducatus, or duchy.
The Venetian Ducat, which
circulated
widely on major trade routes
from the 13th century
(Credit: Spink & Son Ltd)
The most famous early versions were minted in Venice, where the gold ducat issued by the doge Giovanni Dandolo in 1284 weighed 3.56 grams. The Venetian gold ducat circulated widely not only in Europe but along the trade routes to the Levant. Ducats of varying values were struck in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. The Austrian Mint has even made re-strikes of Austro-Hungarian one and four ducat coins in recent times.