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The intricate history of Julius II’s Gold Scudo of the Sun

Written by Greta Gazzaniga

The Avignon Mint and the masterpiece of Julius II

The city of Avignon became one of the territories of the Papal States and one of the official papal mints, beginning its operations between 1351 and 1353. Unfortunately, information regarding the mint’s activities is very limited for certain historical periods, but the true documents certifying its work—namely, the coins themselves—can tell us a great deal about its history.

In our Auction 12, we featured a gold scudo of the sun (scudo d’oro del sole), lot 620, minted in Avignon under Julius II Della Rovere, the famous patron Pope of great artists, including Michelangelo Buonarroti. The pontiff had three known denominations minted in this city: the gold scudo of the sun and two low-alloy coins, the “petit denier” and the “douzain.”

The gold issue and the “douzain” feature a unique detail: for the first time since the mint’s opening, the name of the papal legate appears—specifically, Georges d’Amboise, the famous rival of Giuliano Della Rovere in the race for the throne of St. Peter.

Georges d’Amboise: The Political Alliance That Opened French Borders

Although politically antagonistic, the French cardinal Georges d’Amboise was ideal as a legate in Avignon. He was, in fact, a trusted advisor to King Louis XII of France, which helped maintain a very strong link with the French kingdom. Furthermore, he was of great numismatic importance: thanks to his influence, the gold écus (gold crowns) minted in Avignon were able to circulate within the Kingdom of France. Indeed they were similar to the gold écus minted in Avignon by Nicholas V (1447–1455) bearing the coat of arms of Pierre de Foix.

The Decline of the Mint and Paul III’s Revival Plan

Indeed, sparse historical records indicate that following the death of Georges d’Amboise, the Avignon mint suffered a sharp setback, particularly regarding the production of gold issues. The minting of these gold coins resumed years later under the pontificate of Paul III, taking place in two distinct phases.

A letter dated July 13, 1535, confirms that 174 gold écus were struck bearing the coat of arms of the legate of Avignon, François-Guillaume de Clermont-Lodève. Later, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, who took office in 1541 as the city’s papal delegate, also sought information on how to reactivate the coining of gold money. In a letter addressed to his trusted collaborator, Monsignor Camillo Mentovani (Camille Mentuato), explicit mention is made of how, during Cardinal d’Amboise’s time, the coins had enjoyed free circulation throughout France.

The Mystery of the Ancient “Patents” and Dordini’s Role

Since there was no longer such a strong bond with the French court, the cardinal’s collaborator suggested using the coins circulating in France during Legate d’Amboise’s time as a model, taking them as the starting point for the new coinage.

From the letter, it would appear that these “patents”—that is, the official documents required for the denominations issued by the mint—were in the possession of a certain Hieronimo Dordini (Jérôme Bordini), who presented himself as the mint master of Avignon. However, the letter itself already mentions his exclusion from the project to reopen the mint.

The variants of the Italian mintmasters and the symbolism of the gold Sun Écu

Apart from this evidence, no documents from the period of Julius II have survived to confirm who the mintmasters of Avignon were. Therefore, this information cannot be considered certain.

However, three variants of the gold sun écu minted in Avignon under Julius II are known. They are distinguishable by the mintmaster’s letter located at the end of the legend on both the obverse and reverse.

The specimen in our auction, lot 620, bears the letter “T”, but variants with the letters “D” and “V” are also known. Although it is not possible to establish with certainty to whom these letters corresponded, it can be hypothesized that they were Italian mintmasters, as there is prior evidence of Italian craftsmen working at the Avignon mint. Nevertheless, in the absence of archival documentation, this hypothesis cannot be confirmed.

Nomisma Aste, Asta 12, Lotto 620, Giulio II (1503-1513) Avignone - Scudo d'oro del sole

Auction 12, Lot 620, Giulio II (1503-1513) Avignone – Scudo d’oro del sole

The gold sun écu of Julius II features on the obverse the classic papal tiara surmounting the crossed keys, the symbol of the Papal States. On the reverse, instead, is a cross styled at the ends of its arms with oak leaves and acorns—a clear reference to the coat of arms of the Della Rovere family.

Although there are signs of overstriking on the reverse, the historical and numismatic importance of this coin cannot be questioned. It is, in fact, a testament to how a strong collaboration can arise even between two antagonistic personalities, as well as a specimen that every collector would long to own.

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