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Pope Pius II

Coat of Arms
Bronze, 56.3 mm Ø, 91.9 g
Attributed to Andrea Guacialoti, 1460.
Obverse:  Bust of Pius II facing left, bareheaded, wearing decorative cope. Above and around, PIVS · PAPA · SECVNDVS (Pope Pius II); below in arc, · ENEAS · SENEN · (Enea of Siena).
Reverse:  Piccolomini coat of arms, featuring five crescents on a cross, placed on crossed keys and surmounted by papal tiara. Around, MCCCCLX PONT ΛNNO SECVNDO (1460, Second Year of His Pontificate).

Pope Pius II was born Enea Silvio Piccolomini on October 18, 1405, in Siena. He served various Church officials as a layman before receiving sacred orders in 1446. Enea was elected to the papacy on August 19, 1458, and ruled until his death on the night of August 14-15, 1464. He tried unsuccessfully to unite Europe in a crusade against the Turks. Pius authored a number of works, including his autobiography Commentaries. This medal, showing his coat of arms on the reverse with papal accompaniments, is one of two contemporary medals of Pius by Guacialoti; the other features a "pelican in her piety" design borrowed from Pisanello's medal of Vittorino da Feltre.

Provenance:

Schulman 356, 29-30 June 2018, lot 2019.

J. Schulman, 17 June 1929, lot 30.

A. Riechmann XXXII, 5 February 1925, lot 6 (Arthur Löbbecke collection).

Jandolo & Tavazzi, 1 April 1914, lot 8 (Muzio Guerrini collection).

References:

Hill 1930, no. 748

Modesti 2002, no. 57

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