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Personage:

Alfonso V, King of Aragon & Sicily

Alfonso V, King of Aragon and Sicily, born in 1394 and crowned king in 1416. Alfonso V obtained the Kingdom of Naples in 1442. Died in 1448.

Artist:
Antonio Pisano (known as Pisanello) — Painter and Sculptor, 1395-1455.

He was born in Pisa, worked in Rimini, Venice, Naples, Ferrara and Mantova. Pisanello is considered ‘The Creator’ of the Renaissance medals.


Description:

Obverse: (top) DIVVS · ALFONSVS · REX, (bottom) TRIVMPHATOR · ET · PACIFIVS. Bust facing the right, with thick hair, wearing plate armor over shirt of mail; a helmet at left, bearing an insignia of on open book with a radiant sun in behind. On the right a crown with MCCCC inscribed above and XLVIIII below.

Reverse: LIBERALITAS·AVGVSTA – An eagle is perched centered on a stump, with a dead fawn below, two vultures on right side and a hawk at left. Below, on sunk band, the inscription “PISANI · PICTORIS · OPVS” can be found but is mostly illegible due to wear.

Background:

Cast in 1449. One year after Alfonso died.

Diameter:
106.5 mm. (Max. Diameter reported: 110 mm.); Bronze cast.
Evaluation:
Good patina; Old cast; Considerable wear.
Reference:
Hill 41; Hill (1920), frontispiece; Armand I, 6, 17; Bargello 16; Kress 19; Börner 24; Johnson/Martini 395-7; Syson/Gordon 127 and fig. 3.44; Cordellier 300.