His iiUi-rprctation of Napoleon's head on the new 

 coinage of the copper soldo (fig. 15) and the 3 cen- 

 tesimi of 1811 strongly betraxs the influence of Lavy. 

 In portra\ing the head of the Emperor in 1811 

 V'assalio closely followed the youthful portrait of the 

 First Consul engraved almost eight years before by 

 Lavy (fig. 16). 



Fig. 15. — Ki.M.iMiM I'l It.m.v, N.\poleon 1, soldo, 181 1, 



Milan mint '' 



(Div. of Numismatics photo) 



Vassallo's active and vivid personality continually 

 shaped his style with the passing of time, and in later 

 years he is amazing in his audacity of composition, 

 wherein the emphasis is placed upon the plasticity 

 of the relief, so much neglected in his earlier work. 

 A pattern 100-franc piece of 1807 (fig. 17) shows 

 Napoleon's head facins; partlv to the right. This 



rig. 16. — French Reiu ui ic. N.m>oleon First Consul, 



obverse of pattern, 40 francs, year XI [1803] ^- 



(Div. of Niimismaiics photo) 



three-quarter profile, a challenge to every artist as 

 far back as the master engravers of ancietit Greece, 

 found a happy solution in this [jattern. InefTective 

 for any actual coinage, where daily wear in a short 

 time would deface the luiprotected high points of 

 the featmes, this pattern, nevertheless, is an interesting 

 experiment in modern coin engraving. 



" Cj\7, vol. 5, p. 428, coin 88; Pacini, Monele italiane, coin 

 180; CoMANDiNi, V Italia nei cenlo anni, vol. 1, p. 603; Car- 

 BONERI, p. 118. 



3- Pagani, Prove e fnogelti, coin 419. 



'^ CNI, vol. 3, p. 506, coin 1 ; Pacini, Prove e progelli, coin 

 424; RiNALDi, coin 110. 



But \'assallo's real test lay in another coin pattern, 

 this time in the name of Napoleon's opponent, 

 Francis I of Austria. The pattern for the 6-lire piece, 

 1816, for Lombardy and Venice (fig. 18) is positive 



Fig. 17. — Genoa as part of the French Empire, 



Napoleon I, pattern 100 francs, 1807 '3 



(Photo courtesy .American Numismatic .Society) 



■■■■-,.,, J I) I 5 



Fig. 18. — LoMBAKDV-N'eNICE under .■\L^IKIA. 



6 lire. 181 6, Milan mint '' 



(.-Xuthor's photo) 



RANCIS I 



Fig. 



19. — LombaruyA'enice under Austria, Francis I, 

 obverse of prize medal. 1815 '^ 

 (Photo from Comandini) 



3' C.VI, vol. 5, p. 432, coin 3; Pagani, Prove e progelli, coin 

 509; F. and E. Gnecchi, pi. 50, coin 1; Carboneri, p. 167; 

 Comandini, L' Italia nei cenlo anni, vol. 1, p. 918. Forrkr 

 {BDM, vol. 3, p. 553) assigns this pattern to Manfrcdini 

 and in another place (BDM, vol. 6, p. 205) to Vassallo. 



3' Comandini, L' Italia nei cento anni, vol. 1, p. 827. 



10 



BULLETIN 229: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY .AND TECHNOLOGY 



