Boiiapartr (fis;. 70), struck Ix-twccn 1806 and 1808 

 from a inodcl furnishccl by Rega, was engraved by 

 X'incenzo C'.atenacci. This assumption can be sup- 

 ])orted bv the fact that a medal of 1805, bearing a 



Fig. 70. — Naples. Josf.ph Bo.napartk. piastra, 1808 '°' 

 (Div. of Numismalics photo) 



similar portrait, was signed b\- Rcga for the oijverse 

 and by Catcnacci for the reverse, indicating that they 

 were working together. '''- 



Rcga's activity at the mint increased during Joachim 

 Murat's reign from 1808 to 1815. But never was 

 .Antonio C^anova's influence more evident than in the 

 portraits of Murat by Rega and his contemporary 

 Xicola Morghen, who created the beautiful 40-franc 

 piece of 1810 '"' (fig. 71). Inspired by the classical 

 impassiveness of Canova's portrait of Murat,'** 



•'P^ 



bu->.. 



Fig. 71. 



<J, HiS}> ^ 



-Napi.f.s, Joachim Mi:rat, 40 fiaiichi, 1810 

 (.■\ullior"s photo) 



Rega's interpretation, although permeated by the 

 sovereign's aloofness, breathes more warmth. Two 

 coin dies, the 12 carlini of 1809-1810 (fig. 72) and 



Fig. 72. — Naples, Joachim Murat, 12 carlini, 1810 '«« 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



the 5 lire of 1812-1813 (fig. 73), are extant; with the 

 head of Murat facing left and right, both portraits, 

 although unsigned, are undoubtedly the creations of 



Fig. 73. — Naples, Joachim Murat, 5 lire, 1813 "" 



Rega.'^* In fact, the same head design (facing left) 

 appears on numerous medals"''-' from 1809 to 1811, 

 while the later design was used for the oljverse of 

 other medals struck between 1811 and 1813.'"° 

 Some of the medals were engraved in a low relief 

 generally adopted onh' for coins."' Ordinarils', tlie 



'" Cagiati, fasc. 5, p. 86, coin 1 ; Davinport, Europi-an 

 Crowns, coin no. 165. 



'•2 CoLUCCi (BC.\'.V, 1942, pp. .36-4.';) suggests that Catcnacci 

 is the engraver of the medal. 



I"' This coin type, signed with n.m., was engraved hy Nicola 

 Morghen in 1810 in competition with Achillc Arnaud (Prota, 

 /iC,V.,V, 1931, pp. 14 fT.). Sec also: Carboneri, pp. 139-141; 

 D'Inckrti, RIN (1959), p. 39. 



"^ Sec CoMANDiNi, Vltalia net cenlo atini, vol. 1, p. 827. 



"5 Pagani, Monele ilaltane, coin 261a. 



'» Cagiati, fasc. 5, p. 92, coin 4. 



'"" Ibid., p. 98, coin 2; Pagani, Monele ilaltane, coin 265a. 



'«' In 1812 the dies for the 5, 2, and 1 lire were sent to Paris 

 to be approved by Napoleon; in 1813 Rega prepared other 

 dies for the gold and silver coinage and also for the 3, 5, and 

 10 centesimi. 



'«» Ricoiardi, medals 81, 82, 83, 86, 94. Especially well 

 known are 81 {Per la Jormazione della Piazza Atural) and 

 94 (Pel rilorno dalla campagiia t/i Russia). 



'™ Ibid., medals 87, 93: Larizza, Gli ullimi due secoli delle Due 

 Sicilie, pi. 35. 



"' RicciARDi, medals 81-83. 



34 



BULLETIN 229: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



