Toscani (Giovanni Alvise)

Toscani (Giovanni Alvise), c. 1450-1478

Obverse: IOHANNES ALOISIVS TVSCANVS ADVOCATVS: Bust facing left, wearing round cap and gown. Pearled border.

Reverse: PREVENIT | AETATEM | INGENIVM | PRECOX in formal laurel wreath. Pearled border.

Ermes Flavio De Bonis, called Lysippus the Younger (active c. 1470-1484). Lysippus is mentioned, by Raffaello Maffei of Volterra, as the nephew of Cristoforo di Geremia, and the maker of a medal of Sixtus IV: Lysippus vero eius (scil. Christophori Mantuani) nepos adolescens Xystum IIII (numismate expressit). Two medals bearing the name or signature have permitted of the identification, more or less certain, of a large group of medals of a very marked style, characterized by the use of a strongly hollowed-out truncation, sharply pointed in front, very fine monumental lettering, a preference for the use of a (poplar?) leaf ‘ or pair of leaves as an ornament, the frequent use of a moulded border, and by a general similarity in conception; the artist’s clientele also seems to have been chiefly connected with the Papal curia or Roman university. Ref: Hill, Corpus, p. 205.