portraits fur nu-(J,ils ii.isrd (ui die saiiir iiicidrl js the 

 coin have a nmrc |)r(iii(iunc(d ])laslicit\-, wliicli 

 consideral)l\' cnhaiu cs thfir |)h\siiignoniii- and s( ulp- 

 tural qualities. '"-' 



Done l>\- the same artist, tlicsc two portriiits (lit;s. 

 72, 73) tlitlrr rssrnlialK, rcNcaliii!; Rc<_;a's \crs;itilc 

 ranoc as a portraitist. 'I ht- lust portrait acccnlu.iti-s 

 tlic classical rur\lliiiiy of line and reliff. sacriliciiit; 

 indi\idualit\ In lj(-aut\ ; the second and later portrait 

 disrupts tliis symmetry and imparts personal eh.n.ie- 

 ler. The first is Re^a's snl>jecti\e interi)retatii)n uf 

 an idealized yoimi; hero who darin<;l\ c()nr|uered 

 iciyalty. Later, certain ])articiilaritii.-s ui' :\ mure 

 human aspect, a defiant pursing of the lips, a eoldls- 

 domineerinc eye, reveal deeper insight of the art- 

 ist, or peiha|.is a hetter knowledge of Napoleon's 

 favorite. I'he latter pijrtrait won much atlmiration 

 at court, and some proofs of the 5-lire IS12 wcit- sent 

 liy Queen Carolina to Paris to be seen li\ her lii'other, 

 Kapoleon. (^ther proofs of Rega's dies foi- the deci- 

 mal coinage, from .~i lire to 50 centesimi, w'cre sent as 

 models to the mint in .Milan. '"^ 



The untimely death of his king before an execution 

 sciuad at Pizzo, (lalabria, October 1815, did not alTect 

 the destin\' of Filippo Rega. Benevolent recognition 

 was also bestowed on him liy the returning Bourbon 

 king, Ferdinand IV, now known as Ferdinand \. 



And even higher honors were in store for Rega. In 

 1822 he was commissioned by the king to teach en- 

 gra\ing at the newly founded Istituto di Belle .\rti 

 and in 182'^, as [jart of the general reform of the mint 

 (Riforma del (iahituitn i/ri conj nrlla zeica di .\apidi), 

 a Gahindlo d'ltiiisiiirir (Engra\ing C:abinctl was in- 

 stituted as an annex to the mint under his su|)er- 

 vision. .\s director of the Engraving Oliice lie had, 

 among other oliligations, to prepare the models U)V 

 coins and medals. After Diodati retired in 1825 as 

 director of the mint, the tradition of having coin dies 

 initialed by the niaiJio dclla zecca ceased. Only 

 medals were so marked. In fact, since 182') the 

 medals issued b\- the Neapolitan mint alwa\s bear the 

 initials or name of the directcjr of the Engra\ing ( )lhee 

 accompanied b\ the letK'rs iw. or oiR. (iiui'iited or 



i'-' Ibid., medals 86, 87, 9.i, 94. 



'■3 Prot.»l, .\uniR (19.39), p. 119. 



i-« RiccuRDT, medals 129, LS2, 1.S5, 1 S6, 158. 



'■»Ibid., medals 13-\ 140, IM. 



iJ^'Ibid., medals lf.a, U.ll. 



'"Ibid., medals 1.33, ltd. 



i'" .SiciUANO. new (193S), |). 43. 



'''The same bead was already in use iji I SI 6 (jii 3- and 8- 



PAPER 33: nAM.\N c:oiN r.N(;R.wi:Ks si.nck KSoo 



directed), the name of llie engr.ivei' with inc. or \\x:. 

 (imist' or fill- engr,i\ed or ni.ide) .uul the initi.ils uf 

 tlie director of the mint, with the title \l.i'. {>it,t,^/rii di 

 piura). 



During Rega's aeli\it\ at the mint, he was assisted 

 b\ nriiu young artists, some (r.iined person. iJK by 

 liiin .it tlie l^ngra\ing Oliice. .\niong them were-: 

 \ incenzo ,md Seipione ( 'atenac<i. Foriunato .\Ioli- 

 nari, Francesco dWndrr.i, .\ehille .\rn<iiid, and 

 Miehele L.nidiein.i. Some of these artists signed 

 medals engr.iNcd from Reg.i's designs. X'ineenzo 

 C:atenacci. liis successor at the I.ngra\ing Olhee. 

 appeared to be his f.norite collaboratoi'; nian\ med.il 

 ob\-erses bearing thi- portrait of Ferdinand I (1\'), 

 Francis I, or I'erdinand II were sign<-d l)\ both Rega 

 and Clatenaeei.'"' .\fter |.S3(> th<- n.inie ol dWtuli-ea'"'^ 

 as well as of I.andit ina '■'' ,ippe;ir also in eoniunction 

 with Rega's sign.itnre. Med.il re\ei ses were signed 

 during the s.ime period b\ L.tndiiin.i, .ind espeei.ilK 

 by .\chille .\rn,iud,'" alw.iys aeeompanieel In an 



]•. REGA DIR. 



The portr.iit of King Ferdinand 1 (iV) b\' Rega. 

 engraved 1)V ( !at<'naeei,''^ was used on the entire 

 gold, siher. .ind copper eoin.ige of I (Si 8,'''' an example 

 of whicli is the gold 1 5-|)iaslre piece (lig. 74). Fliis 



Fig. 74. — N.M'i.i.s, fi.kiiiN.SNi) I, I T ducats, 1818'"" 

 (Photo courtesy .Xmericaii .Xmiiismaiie .Society) 



issue presents an unusual le.ilnri-: a golden li.md 

 encircles the hea\ \ locks of h.iir.'^' The ( iisioni ol 

 \csling rulers with the leg.ili.i of power had lallen in 

 disUsC for centuries, ,ind exi'Ii l.ouis Xl\ (jI 1 laiice. 

 ihe |irotol\pe of a bsojnl isl ic power, is usualK repre- 



toinesi pieces, l-'nr the monetary reloi in nf I'eidin.ind I and the 

 monelaiy l.iw (4 1818, see: Carjioniki, |)|). 21n ?A2. 217n; 



irlNCL.KTI, AV\ (1939), |,|). 42 13. 



■""CAtiiAii, p. lil'l, eoiii 1; l)I\eiuii. Itl\ (I''39). p. HI. 

 coin 72. 



'•■IThe same portiail, (Ne, iiled i.iiK in lni;li nil. I. li.is heeii 

 used for many nied.ds. all unsiuned. S.-e: Kie, i\kiii, nied.ils 

 \W,, 113, 1 r. 129; l.\i(l//s. pi. id. 



35 



