reverse (fit;. 133). The svinlmlie Imuic ul ihc pi.wer- 

 liil heliiisinan reveals the ania/iiiL; \ii;()r in cnih ession 

 (il \\hi( h Misiru/zi was eapaMe. In cirder tn eciiuur 

 with the spiiit of the times he emnpletely eiianycd 

 his leehiiitpie. Iiis style, ami praedcallv iiis entire 



Fig. 133. — lTAr\', ie\i.rse ol uiedal eianiiuiiKnaling Benito 



Mussolini, i(y2') ■'-" 



(Piioto from R~) 



creative e<j;o.'-'' Of Michelaiiaelie as|)eet, llie liuiire 

 (if the gigantic navigator is C()in])!etel\ new and 

 modern in execution. Seldom has the ideal of 

 pliN'sieal strength been nicire impressively ic-presentetL 

 Romagnoli's athletes jiale helnre this giant. Ihe 

 Intlging, excellently modeled muscles and Hml>s whieh 

 fill the restricted field of the medal, keeping tiie 

 head U> a minimuin of space, siicce<'d in |ire.senling 

 an image of overpowering physical strength. .More- 

 over, the piece retains perfect balance ol' eoniposiliun, 

 the strong vertical line of the centr.il figure being 

 harmoniously enclosed within the two segments ol 

 inscription. 



In the s.nne line III i|rvelnpm<nl is the revcr-e of the 



gold liKI-lire piiie struck in \'I2^ to in lemor.ilc 



the 2.Sth anniveisarv of Xictui r.nun.iuuers n-iyn 

 (fig. 134). Ihe iilheial inteiuion vv.is lo i;ivt' this 



i' 



'1*^ 



/ 



fig. 134. — Iiviv. \ii iiiR f.vivivMii 111, mil lire, 1923-^-- 

 iDiv . 1)1 XuMiisin.Liiis pliiilii) 



commemorative coin a r,ithi-r med.illie character. ■'•' 

 The obverse, representing the he. id uf tin- king resting 

 on an o.ik tree, resiihed in ,111 .iwkw.ird design. Hut 

 tlie remarkable accomplishment is the reverse. .\ 

 lorvvard-striding fighter, gripping a b.mnei- with one 

 hand and carrying a sm.ill figure of vii inrv with the 

 other, triimiphantlv asi ends ,1 rock inscribed vett.\ 

 l5"iT.Ai,i.v (Peak of It.ilv ). This novel coin image has 

 stirred controversial juik'nienl. lint .i|i.irt from 

 slight im|jerlections. .nnnn'-; whirh nii'jlu be men- 

 tioned the .somew h,ii luKi-d tw isl 111 the riLjhi shoulder, 

 the coin hilly deserves its great pnpiil.nilv .imong 

 collectors. The lore eliil ninv c-ment 1 il the li'..;in c- w liieh 

 cuts the field of the coin almost di.iuon.illv, counter- 

 bal.mced bv the soliclitv ol the- rcu k ,md the sweeping 

 motion ol the bamiei', icmlers life ,md viycii- to an 

 unusual compnsilion, so dilleienl hiiin the c usicim.ii'v 

 svmbolic iigmc-s ol .nic ient mspir.itn m. 



To thcjse who imdiiK c i ilic i/ed Iiis cllciils, Mislrn//i 

 gave an answer on .1 sell-portr.iil ined.il: "{hiail potui 

 {(■(i, fiiiianl nil lidiii JKilitilis" ("Wh.it I could, I did let 

 those who can, do better"). '■' 



.\tter .\llilio Motli's cle.ilh ihc- position of chief 

 engr.ivcr ,it the Roui.in mint vv.is ^ivcai (o i'ielrc) 

 ( ii.nnpaoli. '-'■'' i5orn in IS'',S in Hui.i, i'rovinee of 



3-'0/?~, p. 101, nudal 26. 



3-' A strange coincidence placed tin- .iiitliin iil mic nl tlir niosl 

 inspired medals of Fascism in serious eonllic I uitli the p.ci ty. 

 P.'VTRIGN.'VNI, {IN, 1952, vol. -), no. 1, p. Ti) relates the adventure 

 of one of Mistruzzi's anti-Fasclst medals, vvhic li was c reatccl in 

 secrecy and was almost published prematcirely in a le.idini; 

 Roman newspaper the day of Mussolini's reappearam 1 in 

 .September I'34.1. Mistruzzi's response to personal pc-rsei citum 



PAPER 33: FFALF^N C;OIN KNC;RA\'I.RS .SINCK lHf)() 



h.id fiiiind expression towai'd the- end of ilie war in four 

 1 .isi ist .mil .uiti-Xazi uieil.ils. .ill filled with thi- s.itii ii Imik 



of .1 K.u I ( Inet/. 



'-'- I'.VCVNI, Minirlr llii!j>liii\ coin ''^S. 



aa I'or dec ree no. 182') of < >rlcilicr 11. VH^. see liZ- !>■ ' 



'-'* N fecial of I'ltfi, iniblished by I'm Kio.s \NI, .\i,ml( (1 

 nos. \ ^, p. W. 



'-"' X'oI.LMl K, vol. 2, p. 2'l.S. 



anti- 



I ness 



t.v 

 'M8), 



59 



