(sold for $294.0)

1688, Venice, Francesco Morosini. Silver Osella "Capturing the Peloponnese" Coin.

Mint Year: 1688 Reference: CNI 113, Jes. 198, Pa. 171. R! Condition: Repaired (stuffed) hole, minor deposits, scratches, otherwise VF+ Denomination: Osella - Commemorating the capturing of the Peloponnese by the Ventian army Diameter: 35mm Weight: 8.89gm Material: Silver

Obverse: St. Mark standing right, presenting cross topped banner (with flag!) to kneeling Doge. Legend: * S . M . V . FRAN . MAVROC . DVX * Exergue: * ANNO . I *  Reverse: Kneeling woman (personification of the Peloponnese) in attitude of a freed slave before palm tree. Legend: PELOPONNESVS RESTITVTA Exergeue: * A . C *

The Ossela  was a special denomination, which was struck for presentation purposes only, meaning literally "rare bird", which was given to guests of the Doge during the New Year´s Eve festivities (very important persons have received gold strikings of the same type)!

Francesco Morosini (1619 – 1694) was the Doge of Venice from 1688 to 1694, at the height of the Great Turkish War. He was a member of famous noble Venetian family (the Morosini family) which produced several Doges and   generals.

Morosini first rose to prominence as Captain-General of the   Venetian forces on Crete during the siege of Candia by the Ottoman Empire. He was eventually forced to surrender the   city, and was accused of cowardice and treason on his return to Venice;   however, he was acquitted after a brief trial.

In 1685, at the outbreak of the Morean   War, Morosini took command of a fleet against the Ottomans and   sacked Koroni.   Over the next several years, he captured most of the Morea with   the help of Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck. His fame   reached such heights that he was given the victory   title Peloponnesiacus, and was the first Venetian citizen to   have a bronze bust placed during his own lifetime in the Great Hall,   with the inscription Francisco Morosini Peloponnesiaco, adhuc   vivendi, Senatus.

uring the siege of Athens in 1687, his artillery turned the Parthenon   from a functioning building to a simple ruin, and he personally oversaw   the looting of many of the surviving sculptures. The   Parthenon was used as a powder magazine by the Ottoman Turks when on   September 26, 1687 Morosini's cannons scored a direct hit on the   edifice. An   attache of the Swedish field commander General Otto Wilhelm Königsmarck   wrote later: "How it dismayed His Excellency to destroy the beautiful   temple which had existed three thousand years!". By   contrast Morosini, who was the commander in chief of the operation   described it in his report to the Venetian government as a "fortunate   shot". Not   satisfied with the destruction he had wrought so far Morosini tried to   loot Athena's horses but the attempt resulted in the masterpieces being   smashed to bits on the rock below. The   Ottoman Empire regained possession of the monument in the following year   and having noticed the demand began to sell souvenirs to Westerners.

In the summer of 1688 Morosini, now having been proclaimed Doge, attacked Euboea,   but was unable to capture it, and was forced to return to Venice when plague broke out among his troops. He   embarked on a final campaign in 1693, but was again unsuccessful in   taking Negropont, and returned to Venice after sacking some minor   coastal towns. After his death in 1694, a large marble arch was placed   in his honor at the Doge's Palace, while his cat—which Morosini was notably fond   of—was embalmed and taken to the Museo   Correr.

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