Foreign Medals, Italy, Vatican, Hadrian VI (1522-1523), Adriaan Florensz Boeyens, copper medal, on his accession, bust left, wearing camauro and mozzetta, rev. trophy of Papal emblems, SPIRITVS SAPIENTIÆ – ROMA, 40.5mm (Linc. 456-7; Mazio 42), a later restitution of good age, extremely fine
Hadrian VI is the only Dutch-born pope to date, and was the last non-Italian pope until the election of the Polish John Paul II in 1978. At his election he had never even been to Italy, and the Italians regarded him as a barbarian.
(80-120 GBP)