Giulio of Pope Julius II
1503–1513 ・ silver ・ 16th century ・ Rome
obverse
reverse
The silver coin reformed by Pope Julius II came to be called the giulio after the pope himself. On its face, the crossed keys of the papacy. In Renaissance Rome, goldsmith-engravers of Cellini's stamp cut the dies for papal coinage: the money of the city of prayer was also magnificent art.