Nomos 5

Italy. c. 1540. Medal (Bronze, 39mm, 41.87 g 7), a contemporary cast example by G. Cavino (but often attributed to a Paduan medalist, HB). Bearded bust of Hercules to right, wearing ivy wreath and with lion’s skin knotted around his neck. Rev. On the right, Hercules standing left in classical armor, being presented with the skin of Nessus by Lichas, wearing armor and advancing to the right; in exergue, mongram of HB and eagle with spread wings. Attwood 298. Kress 411 = NG 468. A splendid contemporary cast, with an obverse in high relief. Attractive dark brown patina. Good very fine.

Ex Spink 8019, 24 September 2008, 191 and from the collection of T. Clifford, Spink 1133, 21 May 1996, 176.

Thanks to the HB monogram on the reverse of this medal, there has been a great deal of controversy over its authorship. Several have attributed it to Cavino’s partner Ercole Bassiano because of the HB, but those letters probably stand for Hercules Buphiloponus, a title suggested by Marco Benavides, a patron of Cavino’s.