Stuff I Love

ken · Senior Member

These medals are awesome.I didn't even know they existed Exclamation

I've got alot to learn about what's out there Surprised

JRocco · Veteran Member

Here is a early piece that was much more crudely made, but heck it was made in the mid to late 1500's. Our mint was still striking the Flowing Hair coins in the 1790's as a comparison.
This is a Pope Sergius II medal 844-847.
Slightly smaller than a silver dollar but much much thicker.
Let me quote one of the pro's with this description:
"this is part of an extensive, albeit crude, series of medals struck unofficially in the late 1500s or so. Papal medals began to be issued in earnest in the early 1400s and my understanding is that there was considerable effort to fill the demand of collectors (yes even then!) who wanted examples of earlier popes. This is part of the earliest produced "restitution" series. Many of the portraits are totally imaginary and the reverses used stock types appropriate for any pope. Per CNORP, your medal is one of 4 types used (or at least known) for Sergius (others include parallel keys, keys behind a miter, arms without a legend along with the crossed keys you have with the legend "SANCTUS PETRUS ET PAULUS.") "

I will try my best to non-invasively conserve this precious medal for future collectors like myself.

Dick · Expert Member

Ken, the inscription says "Saint Peter, and Paul".
And yes these medals are awesome! I would be interested, if I were a couple years, (decades), younger.
Dick

KurtS · Senior Member

Fascinating to see such an old medal! The portrait reminds me a little of the traditional depiction of St. Paul seen in some paintings of this period.

GarryN · Expert Member

Those Vatican medals are awesome. particularly the Pius IX example in the beginning of this topic. I have never noticed any at shows or shops, a few on ebay. The one that JRocco just posted from the 16th century, wow.

JRocco · Veteran Member

Another thread that is showing it's age. So let me add to it for the heck of it.

This is a crude piece that is approximately 30-32mm's and I believe it is bronze.
I purchased this from the same German seller as the Sergius ll piece I posted earlier in this thread.

Let me quote info I received on this piece from a guru in the field.

"This piece is listed in the Miselli volume, n. 188. No real description other than that it shows the Last Supper. The obverse can be traced to another papal medal (n. 186 in Miselli), which was issued to commemorate the pontiff's taking possession of the Lateran Basilica (Sept. 24, 1724). The book has only one collection example listed, being at a museum in Milan. The one pictured in the book also looks like a crude casting taken from a struck medal, such as the one here. It does not provide any information about where the reverse might be from"

Cool stuff