Picture of the day

The sequin (zecchino) is a gold coin minted by the Republic of Venice. The design of the coin remained relatively unchanged for more than 500 years, from its introduction in 1284 to the fall of the Venetian Republic at the hands of Napoleon on 12 May 1797. No other coin design has ever been produced over such a long historical period. This coin, with a face value of 50 zecchini, was minted between 1779 and 1789, during the reign of Paolo Renier, the 119th and penultimate doge of Venice. The coin has a diameter of 76 millimetres (3.0 in) and weighs 192.5 grams (6.79 oz), and forms part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.Credit: Zecca of Venice; photographed by Andrew Shiva