Pope Paul VI, born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (26 September 1897 – 6 August 1978), reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978.

Italy – Torino – Poet Torquato Tasso – High Relief Bronze Medal – 1846 – 43.62mm – 45.6 grams – Torquato Tasso (11 March 1544 – 25 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, best known for his poem La Gerusalemme Liberata (Jerusalem Delivered, 1580), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between Christians and Muslims at the end of the First Crusade, during the siege of Jerusalem. He suffered from mental illness and died a few days before he was due to be crowned as the king of poets by the Pope. Until the beginning of the 19th century, Tasso remained one of the most widely read poets in Europe. This is just one of several medals I acquired during a recent trip to the Verronafil Coin Show in Italy.

Italy – Livorno – Firenze – High Relief Copper Medal – 1496 /1896 – 43.7 Grams – 44.52 mm – Beautiful high relief medal, just one of many I recently purchased at a coin show in Verona, Italy. This medal was issued by the city of Firenze and the reverse reads “1496-1896 – A Livorno, fedele sorella nella difesa del libero comune e nella Italiana unita,” which translated means “To Livorno, faithful sister in the defense of a free community and a united Italy.” The medal was struck in copper, weighs 43.7 grams and has a 44.52 millimeter diameter. I grade the medal About Uncirculated.