art concept dct-ply felt l)y ancient masters could confer 

 beauty to their work, l)ut it becomes meaningless to 

 the later imitator. The modern artist could copy the 

 academic jH-rfection of lines and forms, but he could 

 not absorb the ancient spirit, essentially different from 

 the mentality of his own time. 



In this tjroup the coins, compared with the medals, 

 must be adjudged of superior quality. One reason is 

 that the small, limited field of the coin, slightly 

 bhu-red \>y the modern reducing process of the original 

 model, conceals many of the imperfections which are 

 salient on the larger field of the medal. As a result 

 of this and of his own artistr\', Romagnoli was able to 



Fig. iQO. — Italy, \'ictor Em.\i.\null 111, lo lire, 1926-'- 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



create some of I tab's most im]3ressi\c modern coins, 

 among which are the Kl-lire piece of 1926 (fig. 120) 

 and the 10 lire 1936 (fig. 121). They exemplify licst 





Fig. 121. — Italy, \'ictor F-mmanuf.!. Ill, 10 lire, 1936-'^ 

 (Div. of Niiniismatics photo) 



his exquisite technic|ue in mastering composition and 

 portrait alike. Victor Emmanuel's portrait by Ro- 

 magnoli (fig. 121) must ise considered the best likeness 

 of this monarch. Imposing in its stately perfection, 

 with subtle details, this head of Victor Emmanuel III, 

 certifies the high degree of Romagnoli's skill in en- 

 graving. 



The same art, permeated with sensitixity and 

 decorative grace, can be noted in Romagnoli's coinage 

 created for Albania under the rule of Ahmed Zog. 

 The simple, compact, and expressive outline of Zog's 



portrait embellishes one of the most attracti\e modern 

 coins (fig. 122). The allegories of the reverse types 



Fig. 122. — Alba.nia, Zog I, 100 franka ari, 1926 -'* 

 (.Author's plioto) 



are chiefly modern inter[)retations of ancient Greek 

 coin images: the rider on the 1-lek piece recalls the 

 boy rider on the Tarentum coins, Hercules wrestling 



Fig. 123. — I'hurium (Ll'ca.nia), double stater struck 



400-281 B.C.2''^ 



(Div. of Numismatics photo) 



the Nemcan lion on the half-Irk is inspired by a 

 similar type on the coins of Heraclea, while the 

 beautiful eagle head on the 10 qindar leku is taken 

 from the famous coins of Ells. Inspired by Greek 



Fig. 124. — liALV, \ ictor Emmanuel III, pattern 



[20 lire. 1927] -"■■ 



(Photo from Pagani) 



coins, Romagnoli in 1927. using the butting bull 

 types of coin of ancient Thurium (fig. 123), also 

 created a project for a 20-lirc piece (fig. 124), but it 

 was not accepted. 



292 Pagani, Monete ital'un '"i4. 



293 Ibid., coin 1013. 



■'' R^, pp. 73-77; Yi OMAN, p. II, coin 17. 



295 Grose, Catalogue McClean Collection, vol. 1, pi. 40, coin 17. 

 2«i> Pagani, Prove e progetii, coin 189. 



54 



BULLETIN 229: CONTRIRTTIONS FROM IHE MUSEUM OF HISTORY ,\ND TECHNOLOGY 



