IONIAN ISLANDS, Septinsular Republic. Under Russian-Ottoman supremacy. 1800-1807. 1 Gazzetta 1801 (Copper, 24.5 mm, 5.58 g, 12 h), Corfu, denomination in Greek, edged with a chain-pattern. ΕΠΤΑΝΗΣΟΣ ΠΟΛΙΤΕΙΑ✱ The winged lion of Saint Mark holding Book of Gospels surmounted by 7 arrows representing the 7 Ionian islands. Rev. -1-/ ΓΑZEΤΑ / 1801- in three lines; the whole within circular chain border. Karamitsos I.3a (this coin). Lambros 8. KM 1. Plate coin in Hellas catalog. The quality of this coin is breathtaking. This is by far the best example of this elusive type we have ever seen. Graded by NGC "MS 63 BN". Top pop in NGC and PCGS. Cert number: 2217408-006.

From the Septinsular Collection of supreme quality Ionian Islands coins.

The mint of the Septinsular Republic was officially created on 5 September 1801, following the billingual decree issued by the president of the Senate of the Ionian Republic, Count Spyridon Georgios Theotokis. That decree announced the coins' denominations and the iconography, as well as the measures taken to assure the new currency's acceptance. However, the decree didn't specify the exact exchange rate of the Gazetta to the foreign silver and gold coins, which circulated in the region. The mint was located in Garitsa, a southern suburb of Corfu, very close to the future Mon Repos.

Due to the extreme rarity of these coins, it has been suggested that they never circulated, and all the surviving examples are in fact patterns. Count Markos Theotokis, in his study published in 1884, maintained that the decree to release the coins into circulation was never actually published, and, in fact, even doubted the 1801 decree's authenticity.