Meaning
a gold coin, especially a Venetian ducat
In a sentence
Ho trovato uno zecchino al mercato ieri.
I found a gold coin at the market yesterday.
Quanto vale oggi questo vecchio zecchino?
How much is this old gold coin worth today?
Non ho mai visto uno zecchino vero.
I have never seen a real gold coin.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| zecchino | masculine · singular |
| zecchini | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Mostly historical or literary. In modern contexts, prefer moneta d'oro, ducato, or specific coin names unless discussing Venetian history.
- Often capitalized in titles or names, but as a common noun it is normally lowercase: uno zecchino, due zecchini.
- Do not confuse it with modern figurative uses in names like Lo Zecchino d'Oro; that is a proper name, not ordinary coin vocabulary.