DUCAT, a foreign coin, either of gold or silver,
struck in the dominions of a duke; being about the
same value with a Spanish piece of eight, or a French
crown, or four shillings and sixpence sterling when of
silver; and twice as much when of gold. See COIN.
The origin of ducats is referred to one Longinus,
governor of Italy; who, revolting against the empe-
ror Justin the Younger, made himself duke of Raven-
na, and called himself Exarcha, i. e. without lord or ruler;
and, to show his independence, struck pieces of
money of very pure gold in his own name, and with
his own stamp, which were called ducats, ducati; as
Procopius relates the story.
After him, the first who struck ducats were the Ve-
netians, who called them Zecchini or sequins, from
Zecca, the place where they first were struck. This
was about the year 1280, in the time of John Danduli;
but we have pretty good evidence, that Roger
king of Sicily had coined ducats as early as 1240.
And Du Cange scruples not to affirm, that the first
ducats were struck in the duchy of Apulia in Cala-
bria. The chief gold ducats now current are, the
single and double ducats of Venice, Florence, Ge-
nos, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Denmark,
Flanders, Holland, and Zurich. The heaviest of
them weighs 5 pennyweights 17 grains, and the light-
est 5 pennyweights 10 grains; which is to be understood
of the double ducats, and of the single in proportion.
The Spaniards have no ducats of gold; but, in
lieu thereof, they make use of the silver one; which,
with them, is no real species, but only a money of ac-
count like our pound. It is equivalent to 1 rials.
See RIAL. The silver ducats of Florence serve there
for crowns.