Medal: Charles VIII

Italian or French

Not on view

Depicted on the obverse is Charles VIII (1470 – 1498), king of France (1483 – 98); on the reverse is Hercules wrestling the Nemean Lion. The medal is possibly a nineteenth-century aftercast, given the even and dull wear on the surface of both sides. The medal could have been made in 1485 – 91, referring to the wars that ended the union between France and Brittany. A more plausible occasion was the invasion of Italy by the French troops in 1495, as the reverse presents the king as alter Hercules, fighting the Nemean Lion, and with the text Pacator (peacemaker).

Medal:  Charles VIII, Bronze (Copper alloy with warm brown patina)., Italian or French

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