bordiT in incusi-d Icucrs,"''* while his tliirci project 

 (fiS- 67) has one in raised letters. The latter was 

 approsed October 18 and was struck in a small num- 

 ber Ijcfore the entire issue was terminated. The com- 

 position ol' this coin is \er)- well balanced. The 





f{ 





Fig. 67. — N.M'LKS. Ferdinand I\'. piastra, 1804 '^° 

 (Photo from Pagani) 



small bust of the monarch in Roman attire, executed 

 in Pergcr's haljitual low relief, is not lacking in 

 artistic value, and can even be considered one of 

 his better coin engraxings. The massivity of the 

 strong profile is pleasantly balanced by the high 

 relief of the sm-rounding border. The reverse has 

 an impressi\e simplicity, harmonious in its design 



Fig. 68. — X.M'LKS. I'f.rdinand IV, pattern piasua, 1804 '■'' 

 (Photo from Pagani) 



and distribution of letters. Interestingly, the same 

 ob\erse and reverse designs transposed to a standard, 

 flat planchet \vith no raised border (fig. 68) com- 

 pletely lose their esthetic appeal: the bust appears 

 awkward and too compact: the rever.se, insignificant. 



Perger's patterns did not receive necessary apprecia- 

 tion, nor did his dies seem fit for production. From 

 the earlier, first project of the piastra of 1804 only a 

 few specimens could be struck before the dies broke, 

 while the second project was rejected without much 

 consideration by the Superior Council of Finances. 

 Lengthy wrangles widened his rift with the new 

 adntinistration. Against their regular procedure, 

 his superiors gave the commission for the piastra 

 project to two artists outside the mint, Filippo Rega 

 for the obverse dies and Michele Arnaud for the 

 re\-erse. 



Michele Arnaud, more a technician than an artist, 

 was well known in Naples as a button manufacturer. 

 He had come in contact with the mint through 

 occasional use of their presses. Later he introduced 

 some mechanical changes and, in collaboration with 

 Rega, he developed certain techniques for improving 

 the die preparation. He was father of the engraver 

 Achille .Arnaud and the grandfather of Luigi Arnaud. 



Filippo Rega '^^ (1761-1833) was born in Chieti 

 but lived with his father, an antique dealer, in Naples. 

 In 1776 he went to Rome to study design and gem 

 engraving with the famous Giovanni Pichler. 

 Twice he won the prize of the San Luca Academy 

 of Arts. He returned after twelve years to Naples 

 with an established reputation and found quick 

 acceptance among the aristocracy and at court. 

 The king commissioned him wuth the cutting of a 

 portrait cameo of Prince Francis, while for Sir William 

 Hamilton, the British envoy, Rega engraved a 

 portrait of Lady Emma. He also cut a portrait of 

 Napoleon I in agate, of Joseph Napoleon in onyx, 

 and other portrait cameos of Joachim Murat and 

 his family. His signature, phf.v or pf.f.a, can still be 

 seen on many of his works. The field in w-hich he 

 excelled was that of mythological subjects; his cameos 

 were of such exquisite qviality that often they passed 

 for the w'ork of an ancient Greek master. '^^ In 1803 

 the French Institute elected him a member, and 

 in 1804 his first assignment with the mint marked 

 the beginning of a productive relationship which 

 continued to his last days in 1833. 



Rega's emotional temperament set the pattern of his 

 entire life. His works were the creation of a few fugi- 



"" Pag.\ni, Prove e progenia coins 751-^52. 



'™ Paoani, Prnvf e progelli, com 749. Sec especially D'Incerti, 

 «/.,V(!959), p. 37. 



151 P.^cANi, Prove e progetti, coin 750. 



'" For further information on Rega, see: BDM, vol. 5, 

 pp. 58-60, and vol. 8, p. 152; Thii-me and Beckir, vol. 28, 



p. 82; FoRRER, Ras.V (1908), pp. 91-94; fiC.V.V (1926), pp. 

 16-19; CoLiicci, BC'V.V (1942), pp. 36-45; Siciliano, Medaglie 

 Napolelane, pp. 1 fT.; Prota, Giornale d'Arle (1925). 



'53 Siciliano, Medaglie Napoletane, p. 1. Forrer (loc. cit.) 

 also mentions the "unattainable velvety polish" of his cameo 

 portraits. 



32 



BULLETIN 229: CONTRIIU TIONS FROM THE MUSEU.M OF IIlSTOR\- .\ND TECHNOLOGY 



