GERMANY. Augsburg. 1527. Medal (Bronze, 67 mm, 87.00 g, 6 h), on Matthäus Schwartz (1497-1574), Augsburg, by Friedrich Hagenauer (fl. 1525-1544). MATHEVS SCHWARTZ VINDE ETATIS ANNO XXX Bust of Schwartz to left, wearing wide-brimmed hat and full robes; to left and right, M.D. - XXVII.; to left, artist’s monogram. Rev. FIAT VOLVNTAS TVA Shield of arms with helmet and crest. Habich 496 (but 70 mm). An old cast with an attractive brown patina. Good very fine.
GERMANY, Nürnberg (Stadt). Uniface Medal (Bronze, 42mm, 20.11 g), on the 30th birthday of Charles V, by Matthes Gebel (c. 1500-1574), undated but 1530. IMP CAES CAROLVS V P F AVGVST AN AET XXX Draped bust of Charles V to right, wearing flat hat and the Order of the Golden Fleece. Rev. Blank. Bernhart 65. Pollard 723 = Kress 599 var. A very attractive, thin and contemporary cast of high quality, with a fine brown patina. Traces of a casting sprue on the reverse, extremely fine.
Holy Roman Empire. Ferdinand I. 1521-1558-1564. Thick ‘Schautaler’ (Silver, 31.72mm, 26.21 g 11), undated but struck in 1531. Jugate crowned busts of Ferdinand and Anne of Hungary to right, both wearing robes and the Order of the Golden Fleece Rev. .FERDI-/NANDVS.ET./ANNA.ROM.HV-/NG.BOHE.REX.ET/REGINA.ARCHI/D.AVST.DUC:BVRG.Z& Fiala, Donebauer, 1013. Markl 2097. Montenuovo Collection 598. Minor marks, but attractively toned and unusually nice. Nearly extremely fine.
Germany / Poland, Breslau (Wrocław). 1535. Medal in the weight of 1 1/4 ducats (Gold, 21 mm, 4.29 g 11), on Nicolas Jenkwitz, councilor of Breslau, by Ludwig Neufahrer (c. 1505-1563). NICLAS:IE.NCKWICZ:1535 Draped and bare-headed bust of Jenkwitz to right. Rev. Arms of Jenkwitz with helmet and crest; to left and right, N I. Habich 1414. Lanna 1187. Extremely rare, an original striking with a fine portrait. A lovely piece, beautifully centered and well struck, good extremely fine.
Italy. Lorenzino de’ Medici. 1514-1548. Medal (Bronze, 36mm, 26.40 g 6), on the murder of Alessandro de’ Medici on 6 January 1537. Uncertain Tuscan artist: it has been variously attributed to Cavino, Belli and de’Vetri, after 1537. LAVRENTIVS MEDICES Bare-headed and draped bust of Lorenzino to right, in antique style. Rev. VIII.ID.IAN (=The 8th of the Ides of January) Cap of Liberty between two daggers. Attwood 891. Börner 897. A later but very fine cast. Attractively toned. Very fine.
Italy. Francesco Querini. Died c. 1563. Medal (Bronze, 34mm, 26.95 g 12), an early cast example, by Giovanni da Cavino (1500-1570), c. 1540 (?). Original legend obliterated from the die Bare-headed, bearded and draped bust of Querini to right, in classical style. Rev. PERPETVA SOBOLES (= unbroken lineage) She wolf standing right, head turned back to left to suckle the Roman Twins. Attwood 284. Pollard, Bargello, 770. Voltolina 441. An attractive piece with a brownish-gold patina. Very fine.
Germany. Philipp Melanchthon. 1497-1560. Medal (Bronze, 46mm, 40.01 g 12), an original cast by Friedrich Hagenauer (fl. 1525-1546), Cologne, 1543. PHILIPPVS MELANTHON.A°.ÆTATIS SVÆ XLVII (leaf).* Bearded bust of Melanchthon to left, wearing flat cap and gown. Rev. PSAL.36. / SVDITVS ESTO / DEO ET ORA EVM. / ANNO. / M.D.XLIII. / * (= Psalm 36, under the shadow of Thy wings, O God. 1543) Habich 652. Kress 594 = NG 708. Trusted 83. A very fine and sharp original cast with an attractive dark brown patina. Holed for suspension, otherwise, extremely fine.
Italy. Mid 16th century. Medal (Bronze, 34mm, 22.45 g 8), commemorating Homer, an early, probably contemporary, cast by G. Cavino (1500-1570). ΟΜΗ - ΡΟC Bare-headed, bearded and draped bust of Homer to right. Rev. Mars standing facing, head turned to left, between, on the left, Fortuna seated right, and, on the right, Augustus seated facing accompanied by Victory; below, in exergue, reclining figures of Terra and Oceanus. Attwood 295. NG 455. An attractive piece with a brown patina, but with a few minor scratches. Good very fine.
Italy, Rome. c. 1550. Medal (Bronze, 39mm, 42.84 g 1), on king Priam of Troy, an early, if not contemporary, cast by A. Cesati (d. after c. 1564). ΠΡΙΑΜΟΣ.ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ Bearded and diademed bust of Priam to right. Rev. ΤΡΟΙΑ View of the city of Troy, showing numerous temples and buildings, and with the walls of the citadel inscribed ΙΛΙΟΝ; below walls, harbor with galleys. Attwood 941. Kress 539 = NG 420. With a lovely dark brownish-gold patina, a very attractive example. Extremely fine.
Rome. c.1550. Medal (Bronze, 44mm, 58 g 6), on queen Dido of Carthage, an early, if not contemporary, cast by A. Cesati (d. after c. 1564). ΔΙΔΩ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΑ Draped bust of Dido to right, wearing jeweled hair band and olive wreath. Rev. ΚΑΡΧΗΔΩΝ View of the walled city of Carthage with temples, pylons, palaces and an amphitheater; below, galleys. Attwood 942. Kress 368 = NG 419. A very fine early cast with excellent details and a lovely golden-brown patina. Nearly extremely fine.
Italy. Antoninus Florianus. Medal (Bronze, 34mm, 32.44 g 6), An original struck example, by Giovanni da Cavino (1500-1570), c. 1555-1570. FLORIANVS ANTONINVS ANDREAE F Bare-headed and bearded bust of Florianus to right, wearing simple shirt, buttoned up the front Rev. AETERNITATI / SACRVM A group of six men and a dog standing before a richly decorated palace with a pedimental roof. Attwood -. Forrer, BDM 1146. A superb and very rare medal, perfectly struck and with a rich dark patina. Good extremely fine.
Italy. Bernhart, Count of Salamanca-Ortenburg. Died c. 1520. Medal (35mm, 31.42 g 7), an original struck example, by Giovanni da Cavino (1500-1570), c. 1560. .BER.COM. .ORTENBVRG.XIX. Bare-headed and armored bust of Bernhart to right; behind neck, countermark (effaced) Rev. Soldier, wearing classical armor, striding right, attempting to lasso a horse rearing to right; below, sword, shield and helmet. Attwood 282. Toderi Vannel 968. Very rare. Beautiful golden brown patina. Remains of an effaced countermark behind the neck, otherwise, extremely fine.
Italy, Rome. Medal (Bronze, 35mm, 25.30 g 12), on Federico Cesi (1500-1565), Cardinal from 1544; by Gianfederico Bonzagna (1507-1588), who worked at Rome from the 1550s through the 1570s, 1561. FEDERICVS.EPS.PRENESTIN.S.R.E.CARDIN.CAESIVS Bearded and tonsured bust of Cardinal Cesi to left, wearing hooded cassock. Rev. DIVE.CATHERINE.TEMPLVM.ANNO.CHRISTI / MDLXI Facade of the church of S. Caterina dei Funari in Rome. Attwood 959. Struck in high relief and especially nice. Very attractive light brown patina. Extremely fine.
Italy, Venice. Nicolò Donà, XLIII Doge of Venice. 5 April -10 May 1618. Medal (Silver, 50.8mm, 59.46 g), struck on the first 5th anniversary of his death, by an uncertain Venetian artist, 1623. NICOLAVS DONATO DVX VENETIARVM Bust of the Doge to right, wearing high tiara and official robes Rev. MDCXXIII / POST / OBITVM / QVINQVENIO / .I. within elaborate garland. Voltolina II, 59, 889. An original, struck example, nicely toned and very rare. Nearly extremely fine.
FRANCE. Louis XIV . 1643–1715. Medal (Bronze, 55mm, 58 g 12), on the French capture of Maastricht in 1673. LVDOVICVS.XIIII.D.G.FR.ET.NAV.REX Draped bust of Louis XIV to right. Rev. QVAS.CONDIDIT.ERVIT.ARCES / 1673 Neptune destroying the walls of Troy. Van Loon III, p. 112, II. Nicely toned and attractive. A few minor edge bumps, otherwise, extremely fine.
France, Strasbourg. 1678. Medal (Silver, 48mm, 45.83 g 12), on the city’s guilds. SOLIUS VIRTUTIS / FLOS PERPETUUS (=Of virtue alone is the everlasting flower) / 1678 View of the city of Strasbourg with and angel flying above bearing a lily and a sword Rev. In Zwantzig Zunften und Gottes Hutt Strassburg die Statt bestehen thutt (=Strassburg consists of twenty guilds in God’s care) Arms of the city of Strasbourg within a circle of the arms of the city’s twenty guilds; around. Engel & Lehr 543/4. Rare. Nicely toned. Extremely fine.
Germany, Augsburg. Medal (Silver, 46mm, 41.40 g 12), on the defeat of the Turks before Vienna, by C.J. Leherr (1647-1707), 1683 (but given in a chronogram on the reverse). CONCORDIA HEROVM VICTORIAE STABILIMENTVM At the center, the Hydra; to left, Hercules attacking right with his club; to right, Iolaos moving left, using a torch to burn the Hydra’s decapitated heads; below, in tiny letters, CIL. Rev. Inscription of fourteen lines; below, Augsburg Stadtpyr. Forster 57. Hirsch 32. Julius 178. Extremely fine.
Great Britain. James Scott, Duke of Monmouth. 1649-1685. Medal (Silver, 49mm, 43.82 g 12), on the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth at the Battle of Sedgemoor, on 6 July, by Jan Smeltzing, 1685. IACOBUS DUX MONUMET:FID:ET LIBERT:DEFENSOR. Armored bust of the Duke to right. Rev. PARUM SUCCESSIT FECI SEDULO (= It has succeeded little, but I acted dilligently) / MDCLXXXV. A soldier, dressed as a Roman, attempts to pry open a lion’s jaws. Eimer 277. MI I, p. 613, 22. van Loon III, pp. 307-308. Very rare. Beautifully toned and most attractive. Good extremely fine.
Italy, Bracciano. Livio Odescalchi. 1652-1713. (Bronze, 61mm, 76 g 12), a struck medal by G. M.Hamerani (1649-1705), 1689. LIVIVS ODESC.S.R.E.G. Draped and armored bust of Odescalchi to right, with an eagle on his shoulder and, on the shoulder truncation, HAMERANVS /.1689. Rev. NON NOVVS SED NOVITER (not new but in a new way) Sun rising over a globe with a view of Italy. Börner 1251. H._Cz. 4800. A superb toned example, very well struck. Some traces of verdigris in the hair. Good extremely fine.
Italy, Venice. Medal (Silver, 52mm, 32.16 g 12), struck by order of the Senate to honor the naval engineer Antonio Veruda, who worked under Francesco Bembo at the Arsenal in Venice, 1717. S C Lion of St. Mark facing, nimbate and holding gospels; to left, plants; to right, ships at sea; in exergue, A D 1717. Rev. PRINCIP MVNVS / S C / ANT.VERVDA.NAVISOIIT / FRAN BEMBO / ARSEN PATRONO / A D MDCCXVII Voltolina 1398. Very rare. Very attractively toned. Nearly extremely fine.