Lot 111: Giovanni Maria Pomedelli of Villafranca (c.1478-1537) Francis I of France, bronze medal, 51mm., an old cast, brown patina, trace of ...

Giovanni Maria Pomedelli of Villafranca (c.1478-1537)
Francis I of France, bronze medal, 51mm., an old cast, brown patina, trace of number in white paint on reverse

Obverse: three-quarters bust of Francis I, his head turned in profile to the left, wearing flat cap, robes, and Collar and Badge of the Order of Saint Michael, FRANCISCVS· I· CHRISTIANISIMVS· REX· FRANCOR

Reverse: on a large tazza with fluted bowl, a salamanda in flames, crown above, NVTRISCO· ·EXTINGO·, the artist's monogram in exergue not clear on this example

Francis I of Valois (1494-1547), became king of France 1515. The medal dates from after his succession and probably before 1518 when he began to grow a beard.

The Salamanda in flames, usually with the motto 'I live in it and I quench it', was a favourite device of Francis I. Here the Latin motto in full translates as 'I nourish good and extinguish the bad', and the motto was recorded by P. Giovio, Diologo dell'impresse militari, published in Lyon in 1574.
This is a scarce medal, and the Corpus lists only one good example. Pomedelli appears to have inserted his legends into the mould using punches. Here the letters on the reverse are double punched.

References
Armand II, 127,5; Hill 592; Kress 179