The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

338 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
Fortune, on the reverse, holds in her right hand three
large nails, and in the left a horse's bit, her right foot
resting on a skull, and her left on a richly ornamented
helmet. The treatment of the hair, floating forwards in
a tress fastened above the forehead, is exceptional, as also
the Greek legend, EK HALAI MOI MHNIZOMENH.
In the exergue, the " sigla," corresponding
to that on
the medal of Charles, is plainly distinguishable. The
diameter of this fine example is 46 mm.
In the smaller medal (diameter 30 mm.} of the same
person, published by Friedlaender (Taf. xix. 6), the head
is turned to the right, and the AETERNA .
FORTVNA
is undraped and standing, but all the peculiarities and
accompaniments are repeated. The apple and monogram
here appear in the field, instead of in the exergue.
Cicognara speaks of the medal of Isabella as " degna
de' primi artisti del secolo," and regards the "figura
ignuda " of the reverse as a representation of Temperance.
He evidently refers to the larger medal, for though the
figure is only partially nude, the legend in the smaller
piece shows the personification of Fortune to be intended.
" E riscontrarsi/' he adds, " in questa la
sigla indicata
senza che siavi il nome dell' autore ; ma non tanto per la
cifra come per lo stile sembra doverglisi assegnare senza
alcun dubbio." He reserves, however, his highest praise
for the medal of Stefano Magno, executed in 1519, which
he describes as Pomedello's chef d'ceuvre, and as being
unsurpassed in this branch of art.
The third medal (diameter 40 mm], of which an illustra-
tion is given, is that of Frederick II., of Gonzaga, who
was born in 1500, and became fifth Marquis of Mantua
in 1519t In 1530 he was created Duke of Mantua by
Charles V., and he lived till 1540. It is clear, then, from