Beautiful Vatican Copper Medal Pope Alexander VII Year 3 Cavalry in Front of Fortress By Gasparo Morone
Description: A rare early restrike papal states copper or bronze (can’t tell) medal with the image of the bust of Pope Alexander VII facing left on the obverse. Alexander VII was pope in the period 1655-1667. The reverse shows the images of men on horsebacks in front of the gate of a fortress of some sort. There are also steps to the right of the gate leading to another entrance. The obverse of the medal is the obverse of Mazio 255 while the reverse is that of Mazio 252. The obverse has the legend "ALEXAN.VII.PONT.MAX.A.III" surrounding the pope's bust along the edge. The reverse has the legend "FEL.FAVS.Q.INGRES" above the image along the edge. The medal came with a description indicating that it is to commemorate the arrival of queen Christina of Sweden in Rome. We were unable to neither confirm nor refute such a claim. Be that as it may, this is an unusual medal which is very uncommon and our research could not uncover another example. Moreover, it is our opinion that this is an early restrike or casting possibly using original dies especially that you can see some casting defects in the medal at the bottom left of the pontiff’s bust. An interesting and rare re-strike. The medal is nicely toned with very nice eye appeal. The edge of the medal is plain and unmarked. A handsome medal, which would make a worthy addition to any collection. Please carefully review the photos as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: Anno III of Alexander VII papacy is 1656-1657. However, the date this medal was made is unknown.
Origin: Vatican or Papal/Roman States.
Artist: Gasparo Morone.
Weight and Size: The medal weighs ~18.5 grams, is ~35 millimeters in diameter, and ~2.5 millimeters thick at the edge.
Maker: Unknown.
Marks: Has the initials G.M. below the bust on the obverse for Gasparo Morone.
Reference: Obverse is similar to the obverse of Mazio 255 and the reverse is similar to the reverse of Mazio 252.
Condition: For international buyers, please note that the new US postal rates for overseas shipping are very high and we are unable to change them. Additional charges will be incurred depending on the value of the item. Please check the cost of shipping before bidding. The medal is in extremely fine or better condition. The medal shows minimum wear, some scratching and a minimum marking to the surface. It does have a casting? defect at the bottom left of the pontiff’s bust. The edge of the medal is plain and is unmarked. A beautiful medal, which would make a great addition to your collection. Please view photos for additional condition information and to appreciate the beauty of the piece.
