Cast Medal-Friedrich III Rome 1469 Bronze

Description

This celebrated bronze medal, made by the Renaissance sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni in 1469, is notable not only for its historical value and its detailed depiction of the imperial meeting on the Bridge of Castel Sant'Angelo, but also for a famous and curious error in the inscription on its obverse. Around the emperor's bust, the Latin legend was originally engraved using the letter "N," so that it read SENPER instead of the correct spelling. Due to this typographical oversight in the original matrix or mold, surviving examples clearly show how the letter was corrected by hand directly on the metal, adding the necessary strokes to transform it into an M and thus restore the official title of SEMPER AVGVSTVS.