The catalog for the current Auction 8 offers numerous and highly valuable Renaissance coins featuring portraits of the rulers of the time, some of whom are depicted wearing period headgear.
Lot 457 MILAN Francesco I Sforza (1450-1466) Ducat
A significant group consists of the Sforza issues. The portraits of Francesco Sforza, Galeazzo Maria, Gian Galeazzo Maria, and Ludovico Maria form the complete numismatic gallery of portraits of the dukes of Milan.
Lot 459 MILAN Galeazzo Maria Sforza (1466-1476) Ducat
Lot 460 MILAN Galeazzo Maria Sforza (1466-1476) Testone
Lot 458 MILAN Galeazzo Maria Sforza (1466-1476) Double Ducat
The three denominations of Galeazzo Maria present an almost photographic sequence of the duke’s portrait: close-up (lot 459), medium distance (lot 460), and from a distance (lot 458). In all three portraits, the hair is long, but in the first two, it falls in curls, while in the double ducat, it is smooth and wavy.
Lot 461 MILAN Gian Galeazzo Maria Sforza under the regency of Ludovico Maria Sforza (1476-1494) Double Ducat
This double ducat, ultimately, represents the pinnacle of this group of coins offered at auction. The portraits of Gian Galeazzo Maria and the regent Ludovico, nicknamed “Il Moro,” the paternal uncle of young orphan Galeazzo Maria, immediately evoke the hairstyles of some figures painted by Leonardo da Vinci, the undisputed star of Ludovico Il Moro’s court.
Leonardo’s art was widely disseminated, and these coin portraits clearly represent an immediate point of connection.
Hats on Renaissance Coins
While the dukes of Milan display their flowing hair, other powerful figures of the Renaissance, in later years, show off various styles of hats, which inspired the title of this post, adapted specifically from the expression “hats off.”
Lot 330 ASTI Ludovico II of Orléans (1465-1498) Testone
Lot 335 BOLOGNA Giovanni II Bentivoglio (1494-1509) Double Ducat
Lot 339 CARMAGNOLA Ludovico II of Saluzzo (1475-1504) Cavallotto
Lot 341 CASALE Guglielmo II Paleologo (1494-1518) Double Ducat
MANTUA Francesco II Gonzaga (1484-1519) Half Testone
Clean-shaven, long hair, and a hat: this was how people conformed in the early 1500s! Only Francesco II Gonzaga was slightly less formal, with his short beard.
Contemporary references aside, this way of presenting oneself may have had a deeper meaning beyond mere fashion, and it will be up to the discerning collector to explore and delve into these aspects.
Papal Portraits in the Renaissance
And what about the pope? Unlike secular lords, the pope was obliged to display the bare tonsure.
Lot 620 Julius II (1503-1513) Double Fiorino di Camera
The expression “hats off” comes from the now outdated gesture of removing or touching one’s hat as a sign of respect, simultaneously expressing admiration. Don’t you agree that these coins deserve the same? So… Hats off!