171 Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini
(1801-1835), Sicilian born operatic composer, uniface Bronze
Plaquette, 1902, by Friedrich Kounitzky, half-length bust, head turned almost full-face, 97mm x 56mm (Ni
298); a pair of Copper Tribute Medals, 1876, by F Speranza, bare head left, reverses with differing legends,
55mm (Ni 302, 303). First extremely fine, others nearly extremely fine. (3)
£80-100
172 Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
(1813-1901), Copper Medal, 1889, by F Speranza, bust left, rev legend
in nine lines, 69mm (Ni 2105); Bronze Plaquette, by F Stiasny, bearded bust three-quarters left, wearing hat,
shown in old age, 65mm x 49mm (Ni 2106); small Bronze Memorial Medal, by A Strada, bust left, rev Musica
stands before Opera House, 47mm (Ni 2107); Double portrait Bronze Tribute Medal of Verdi and Pietro
Mascagni
(1863-1945), 1902, by H Kounitzky, busts either side three-quarters right, each with figure of Victory
to left, 82mm (Ni 1268). Extremely fine. (4)
£80-120
Mascagni, composer, most famous for the Cavalleria rusticana [1890], who became musical director of La Scala in 1929.
173
174
(image reduced)
173 Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
(1813-1901), small Bronze Plaquette, by F Stiasny, bearded bust three-
quarters left, wearing hat, shown in old age, 65mm x 49mm (Ni 2106); three, by Donzelli, Centenary, similar
three-quarters left bust, Memorial, 1901, rev legend, 27mm (Ni 2074); Centenary of the Milan Conservatory,
1908, Silvered Metal, rev Musica, 50mm (Ni 2054); Centenary of Birth, Pewter Plaquette with arched top, 1913,
rev
medallic portraits of Donizetti, Rossini and Bellini, 56mm x 47mm (Ni 2056); another Memorial, Bronze,
by Donzelli, unsigned, similar but larger bust, 50mm (Ni 2073). Very fine and better. (5)
£80-120
174 Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
(1813-1901), uniface Bronze Plaquette [1913], by E Torff, bust three-
quarters left, 150mm (Ni 2109); silvered Bronze Plaquette, by A Gori, bust three-quarters left in hat, 185mm x
138mm (Ni 2063); circular Bronze Plaquette, unsigned, hated bust right on stippled background, 127mm (Ni
2113). All very fine. (3)
£70-90
175 Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
(1813-1901), a group of Medals by Lodovico Pogliachi, for Stefano
Johnson, all bust left, commemorating his death and various events, all with similar bust left, Bronze unless
otherwise stated:- 27mm, with loop (Ni 2083); 50mm (Ni 2084); 50mm, gilt (Ni 2085); 50mm, gilt (Ni 2086); 3
rd
Anniversary of Death, 1904, silver, numbered “8” on edge, 38mm (Ni 2087); Apollo reverse, 56mm (Ni 2090);
54mm and 38mm (Ni 2091); Centenary of Birth, Silvered-bronze, 52mm; 28mm, gilt, with loop (Ni 2092);
38mm (Ni 2093); 38mm, with loop (Ni 2094); 28mm, gilt with loop (Ni 2095); 28mm, gilt with loop (Ni 2099).
All extremely fine
. (14)
£200-250
176 Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
(1813-1901), centenary of his Birth, Bronze Medal, 1913, by E Torff, bust
three-quarters left, rev scene from Rigaletto, 60mm (Ni 2109); earlier medals (2), Copper and White Metal,
1850, by Frener bust three-quarters right, rev cherub, seated at the feet of a Muse, inscribes music, 55mm
(Ni 2060); Copper, 1901, by Soroni, 56mm (Ni 2104), these extremely fine; others (13), various metals (Ni 2042,
2045, 2046, 2050, 2068, 2077, this a medallic Scudo, 2081, 2082, 2096, 2097, 2115, 2117, 2118). 2115 with surface
corrosion, fine, others very fine and better.
(17)
£150-200
177 Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
(1813-1901), Gilt-bronze Presentation Medal to Ettore Ximenes (1855-
1926) Italian sculptor, by S Johnson, Milan, Verdi surrounded by diaphanous musicians and choristers, rev
legend, 70mm (Ni 2098), matt surface, extremely fine; with a silver and enamel badge for the Centenary, 1913
(Ni 2116), very fine. (2)
£80-120
The City of Parma commissioned a huge monument to celebrate the centenary of Verdi’s birth. Construction began in 1913 and it was
inaugurated on 22
nd
February 1920 in the Piazzale della Stazione. The project was by the architect Lamberto Cusani, who proposed
a classic triumphal arch joining the two arms of a semicircular arcade, with each pillar supporting the base of twenty-eight statues
envisioned by the Palermo sculptor Ettore Ximenes, personifying figures in Verdi’s operas. It was damaged by Allied bombing in World
War II and later dismantled and the nine surviving statues were set up in the “Arena del Sole” Cinema in Roccabianca.
178 Arturo Toscanini
(1867-1957), conductor, Silvered-bronze Medal, by Affer, 59mm (2) (Ni 2015); from the
“Series Numismatica”, Domenico Cimbarosa (1749-1801), by Barre, 41mm (Ni 514); Antonia Maria Gasparo
Sacchini
(1734-1786), composer, by E Rogat (3), varieties (2), bust right, 41mm (Ni 1740, 1741); Amilcare
Ponchielli
(1834-1886), (2), by Baroni, 76mm (Ni 1610), by Farè, 67mm; Giuseppi Gallignani (1851-1923),
composer, Silvered-bronze Medals (2), by Donzelli, 50mm (Ni 674); Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), by
Bremaecker, bust left, 70mm (Ni 1621), and Plaquette, by Ede Telcs, 53mm x 35mm (Ni 1625); non-portrait
medals of Giulio Ricordi (1840-1912), of the Casa Ricordi, classical music publishing company, founded
in 1808, 50mm (Ni 1683); and Lauro Rossi (1810-1885), composer, 1875, 51mm (Ni 1693); Small Medalets
(2) of Guido Aretinus (995-1050), 26mm (Ni 776), and Stradivarius (1644-1737), 32mm (Ni 1935). Mostly
extremely fine
. (16)
£100-150