gold coinage^*' as well as the silver 20-Iire 1927 

 (fig. 112) and 1936 (fig. 113), clearly reflect this 

 tendency. The personification of Italia on a ship's 

 prow (fig. 114), the striding figure of the lictor on 

 the 100 lire 1936, and the figure of the sower on the 

 Albanian 2-franka ari piece of 1926 (fig. 115) portray 



Fig. 112. — IiALW \'iCTOR Emm.anuel III, 2o lire, 1927 -'- 

 (,Div. of Numismatics photo) 



the glorification of a heroic tradition. They are 

 powerful coin images, and considerably enhance the 

 decorative character of Italian coinage, but the flat 

 execution of the plastic relief detracts from their 

 artistic qualities. The perfect workmanship of this 

 skilled artist, accurate in the execution of details and 



Fig. 113. — It.alv. \'ictor Emm.wuel III. 20 lire, 1936 -® 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



with an unquestionable sense of proportion, still fell 

 short of imparting Roman visjor and magnificence to 

 the ancient cliches. This cpiaHtv appears strikingly if 

 the lictor (fig. 114) is compared to the naively de- 

 signed but sincere and forceful figures of Roman 

 lictors on a denarius cnijraved over 2000 years before 

 (fig. 116). 



The triumphal quadriga on the reverse of the 20- 

 lire 1936 (fig. 113), commemorating the Italian 

 Empire, is practically an adaptation of a Roman type 

 frequently used in the Augustan and Claudian periods. 

 A similar interpretation guided Romagnoli in com- 

 posing some of his medals, such as the ones commemo- 



Fig. 114. — It.alv, \ 11.1..R L.MM.JiNUiiL III, reverses of 1 00 lire, 



1931. '936^*^ 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



Fig. 



-Alb.\ni.\, Victor Em.maiNii.i, III, 2. franka ari, 

 1926 (2x actual size) -''' 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



Fie;. 1 16.- 



.X.Ncii NT RcniE, denarius of Q. Caepius Brutus, 

 about 60 B.C.2!*« 

 (Div. of Numismalics photo) 



2-1 For the 100 and 50 lire 1931 (Fascist Era IX) to 1933 

 (F.E. XI), the 100 and 50 lire 1936 (F.E. XIV), and the 

 100 lire 1937 (F.E. XVI), sec Pagani, Monete italiane, coins 

 959-964, 970-974. 



2*2 Pagani, Monete italiane, coin 985; Spaziani-Testa, Casa 

 Savoia, coin 212; Davenport, European Crowns, coin 145. 



2*" Pagani, Monete italiane, coin 994; Spaziani-Testa, Casa 

 Savoia, coin 221 ; Davenport, European Crowns, coin 147. 



2"* Pagani, Monete italiane, coins 959, 963. 



2S5 Raymond, Coins of the U'ortd, coin 6; Lanfranco, RasN 

 (1932), pp. 258-259, pi. 5, coin 15. 



S's .Sydenham, Coinage of Roman Republic, p, 150, coin 906. 



3Z 



BULLETIN 229: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY .-WD TECHNOLOGY 



