TYPE Medieval Serbia, Despot Stefan Lazarevic (1402-27), silver dinar,
DESCRIPTION .
Obv: Four-line Cyrillic legend NOVA CEKA GNA DESPOTA ("New zeccha of lord Despot")
Rev: Christ in glory, stars to sides, legend IC - XC
REFERENCE: Jov. 41-41, J 175
GRADING: F / VF, broken and repaired, obv. scrapes, typically uneven strike, toned, rare
ORDER INFO: S1469, $95
Despite its obvious problems as noted, still a very collectible specimen of a rare and interesting type in the broad Serbian series. The reference to "ceka" (from Italian Zeccha - a contemporaneous Venetian gold denomination deriving its name simply from the Italian for "mint" or "struck coinage", and often known as the "zecchino") is indeed an indicative link of monetary ties in central Mediterranean of the time, and unique reference in that respect. Additionally valuable is the well detailed and stylistically highly accomplished (for the time) rendition of Christ on reverse.