Nomos 5

Italy, Venice. Francesco Morosini. 1688-1694. Medal (Silver, 42.4mm, 32.48 g 12), struck to commemorate the Venetian victories in the war against the Turks. By G. Hautsch, Nuremberg, 1687 (but issued in 1688). TERROR TURCARUM Two angels, blowing trumpets and holding oval cartouches containing the portraits of the Doge Francesco Morosini (at the top), the governor of Dalmatia, Girolamo Corner (at the left) and of the general Otto Wilhelm von Königsmarck (at the right). Rev. Six oval cartouches, bordered by laurel wreaths and entwined with olive branches, containing the views of seven captured fortresses: Mistra, Castelnovo, Castel Tornese, Athens, Corinth, Patras and Lepanto; below, 16 87. Around edge, GESTA.DEI.VIRTVTE.DVCIS.VIRTVTE.LEONVM. Voltolina 1057. Rare and beautifully detailed. Lightly toned. Good extremely fine.

During the Venetian campaigns celebrated by this medal, one of the victories was that of the capture of Athens - shown at the center of the reverse. Unfortunately, during the Venetian assault a stray shell blew up the Turkish ammunition dump which was stored in the Parthenon, thus destroying many of the up till then well preserved sculptures that still adorned that building. Much of the remainder was, of course, taken away over 100 years later by Lord Elgin. It should be noted that the medal commemorates the victories of 1687, but since Morosini only became Doge in 1688 it could only be issued then.