Urban VII, Giambattista Castagna of Rome. Pope from 15 to 27 September 1590. The untimely death of the Pope. Silver medal 1590 Year I. Restrike by Hamerani, late 17th century, inspired by the medal of M. A. Balla. (Silver, 41.91 mm, 23.20 g). VRBANVS VII PONT MAX ANNO I M D L XXXX Bare-headed bust to left with cope decorated with Crucified Jesus and a Saint. Rev. SIC LVCEAT LVX VESTRA Jewish candelabrum with seven branches on the top of a small mountain. Modesti 2006, 898. A. Patrignani, The "Corpus" of Pontifical Medals (1404-1939) Part one, in, "Bollettino del Circolo Numismatico Napoletano" n°1/1951, p. 64. Armand II, 141, D. Deep cabinet tone. Edge nicks resulting from previous mounting, otherwise, Uncirculated. Very rare.
Ex Tkalec, May 7, 2008 part II, lot 166.
This medal is a remake of the specimen coined by Michele Angelo Balla (Modesti IV, 897), executed about a century later. It shows therefore the same representations, but a slightly larger diameter. Moreover the date on the obverse is in Roman numerals and the small mountain under the candelabrum is different. Given the characteristics, the shape of the edges and the images reported by early scholars of papal medals, the coinage of these specimens should have been redone towards the end of the 17th century by Hamerani engravers (cf. A. Modesti).