Fig. 99. — Italy, HrMni-.RT I, 5 lire, 1879 -*2 

 (Div. ol' Xumisniatics photo) 



..d.JJ?*'^^''"*''*^ 



Fig. 100. — Eritrf..-\, Humbert I, 5 lire or lallero, 1891 "' 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



(fiu;. 99), with its convcnlioiial rigidity, is a regression 

 in coinjinrison even to Ferraris" last works. 



Spcranza also had the assignment to prepare the 

 coinage for the colony of Eritrea. Interestingly, the 

 tallcro of 1891 (fig. 100) and the smaller denomina- 

 tions present better portrait qualities than his Italian 

 coinage. The bust of Humbert I, in uniform and 

 wearing a huge crown, ajjparently was intended to 

 confer increased dignity and majests' to the figure 

 of the king among his subjects in /\frica. 



In 1898 Speranza created, with the 5 lire for the 

 Republic of San Marino, probably his most remark- 

 able coin die (fig. 101). The subtle engraving har- 

 monizes pleasantly with a well-balanced composition, 

 permeated with patriarchal dignity. The free-stand- 

 ing figure of St. Martin on the obverse, surrounded by 

 an unobtrusive, well-designed, and well-distributed 

 legend, accentuates the \ertical arrangcnient of the 



composition. The reverse, although overdesigned 

 and filled to excess in contrast to the simplicity of 

 the obverse, nevertheless creates a pleasant impression. 



In 1900 Spcranza personally supervised taking a 

 photographic portrait of the new king in Naples. 

 The likeness he created, however, of Victor Em- 

 manuel III on the 5 lire 1901 (fig. 102) and the 100 

 lire 1903 is a pathetic example of his incapability 

 as a portraitist. The head, wooden and lifeless in 

 expression, sits awkwardly on a small, short neck, 

 while an oversized drawing of the emblematic eagle ^■'* 

 on the re\-erse, with exaggerated wing feathers, only 

 accentuates the negative impression of the obverse. 



The elderly artist did not realize that his poor 

 creations were in fact a personal ofTcnse to the king. 

 \'ictor Emmanuel III, himself a coin collector, 

 went far beyond the role of a connoisseur. With the 

 twenty huge volumes of his Corpus nummorum Italicorum, 

 [Hiblished between 1910 and 1940, he gave brilliant 



Fig. 101.- S.\N Marino, 5 lire. i8g8 -'<■ 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



Fig. 102. — Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, 5 lire, 1901 

 (Photo courtesy .American Numismatic Society) 



■*'-C\I, vol. 1, p. 480, coin 3; Pacani, Manele ilalinnr, coin 

 903; Carboneri, pp. 348, 541-542. 



2« C\7, vol. 1, p. 486, coin 66; Pacani, Monele ilaliane, coin 

 943; .Spaziani-Testa, Casa Savoia, coin 206. 



2" The resemblance to the German eagle especially caused 

 criticism (LANrRANCO, RasN, 1931, p. 49). Sec also D'Incerti, 

 /?/.V(1956), vol. 4, p. 111. 



i<^ C,\7, vol. 10, p. 727, coin 11; Pacani, Monele ilaliane, coin 

 1472; Davenport, Eumpean Crowns, coin 302. 



-" C.V/, vol. 1 , p. 488, coin 1 ; Pacani, Monele ilaliane, coin 

 1019; Spaziani-Tksta, Casa Savoia, coin 208; Carboneri, pp. 

 418 419; Davknport, European Crowns, 142. 



46 



BULLETIN 229: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



