A curious feature about this system was that in its turn it subdivides. In 1343 a double (hypothetical) grosso was adopted; one of 48 piccioli, the other of 32, both of them subdivided into thirty-two parts as, again, an ideal system.

In 1472, therefore, the Venetian silver system consisted of—

1. Lira di piccioli, an actual coin represented by the Troni, and containing 128 grs. of silver, .9472 fine.

2. The ideal lira di grossi, then equivalent to 10 ducats, divided into 20 ideal soldi, each equivalent to 1⁄2-ducat, each soldo again subdivided in 12 grossi, the grosso being now no longer the actual coin of that name but ideal, like the above multiples; and each grosso in its turn subdivided into 32 parts, to which the name of piccioli was given, though as ideal as its multiple the grosso. For distinction's sake probably, these ideal grossi and piccioli occur in history as grossi a oro and piccioli a oro.

TABLE OF THE GOLD DUCAT OR SEQUIN OF VENICE.

(According to Nicolo Papadopoli, Sul Valore Delia Moneta Veneziana, p. 33.)

Date. Coin. Declared or Deduced Value in Venetian Lira of History.Value in Modern Italian Lire of the Venetian Lira of History.
Lire.Soldi. Lire.Centesimi.
1284 Ducat = 18 grossi of 32 piccioli each 2 8 5 012
1324 "= 24grossi. 3 2 3883
1350 " = 96soldi. 4 16 2 506
1399 " = 93 " 4 13 2 587
1417 " = 100" 5 0 2 406
1429 ... 4 4 2 313
1443 ... 5 14 2 110
1472 ... 6 4 1 940
1517 ... 610 1 850
1520 ... 6 16 1 769
1529 ... 7 10 1 604
1562 ... 8 0 1504
1573 ... 8 12 1 398
1594 ... 10 0 1 203
1608 ... 10 15 1 119
1638 ... 15 0 0 802
1643 ... 16 0 0 752
1687 ... 17 0 0 707
1739 ... 22 0 0 546

TABLE OF THE GOLD DUCAT OR SEQUIN OF VENICE.