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 emperor Justin the Younger, made himself duke of Ravenna, 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 ducati, ducats; as Procopius relates the story.

After him, the first who struck ducats were the Venetians, 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 Calabria. The chief gold ducats now current are, the single and double ducats of Venice, Florence, Genoa, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Flanders, Holland, and Zurich. The heaviest of them weighs 5 pennyweights 17 grains, and the lightest 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 account like our pound. It is equivalent to 11 rials. See Rial. The silver ducats of Florence serve there for crowns.