CIGOI, LUIGI (Ital.). Forger of Roman coins, who resided at Udine during the first half of the nineteenth century. He did not engrave dies himself, but invented a clever method of patinating the coins which were struck for him. In order to elude suspicion, he used to mix genuine pieces with his forgeries, and coated them all with dark brown patina; thus many collectors were taken in. This unscrupulous dealer carried on his trade at Trieste and Venice through intermediaries, and also by advertising that he had for sale duplicates from his collection. I saw a few years ago a remarkably fine Sestertius of Tranquillina, with Cigoi's patina (also mentioned in the Numismatic Chronicle, 1892, p. 255); possibly he was the author of this clever imitation, for which the sum of ? 100 was asked by the owner. Mr. H. A. Grueber however attributes the piece and some of Didia Clara to a Neapolitan engraver, and adds, that "the dies used for striking these coins are of modern manufacture, not improbably made by a new mechanical process by means of which exact copies can be obtained of the original object. When, however, imperfections occur in the original, then the dies have to be touched up by the graving tool. The coins themselves are said to be genuine, but worthless Roman pieces restruck from the modern dies, and thus the apparently ancient patina is obtained ". It is no doubt to the works of this engraver that the following paragraph in the Numismatic Chronicle, 1875, p. 244), refers : "A note by Dr von Sallet informs us that false coins are still fabricated in large numbers at Udine. The Berlin Cabinet has lately acquired a large number of them for purposes of study. It is much to be regretted that the Trustees of the British Museum do not follow the example set by Berlin and authorise the purchase of clever forgeries, a collection of which is most instructive to the numismatist. According to Dr von Sallet, the Udine forgeries have deceived the most experienced numismatists, amateurs and dealers. Collectors should at the present moment be especially cautious in purchasing coins of the later Roman Emperors. It is said that the patina of these forgeries is unimpeachable. " Cigoi died in 1880. The first coins this clever forger imitated belong to the late Roman Imperial series ; then he struck some Large Brass of Britannicus, Vitellius, Julianus, Didia Clara, and an almost complete series ot the rare Emperors and Empresses after Gallienus. With the imitations of Tardani, Cigoi's forgeries are the most dangerous. He cut his coins in the antique style and used genuine, common coins for the purpose. His copper pieces are so beautifully patinated that it is difficult, even for an expert, to distinguish them at first sight. Bibliography. — Monatsblatt der Numismatischen Gesellchaft in Wien, 1897, p. 387. — Berthold Willner, Moderne Fälschungen römischer Münzen des Luigi Cigoi in Udine, Numismatische Zeitschrift, Wien, 1896.
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
CAPUTI
CAPUTI (Ital.). Medallist of the early part of the present century. There is a portrait of Cardinal Consalvi by him. Although the two names Capucci and Caputi occur in works of reference, I believe they represent only one artist, as Capucci, the gem-engraver is called Caputi in H. Lehnert's biography of the medallist Henri Francois Brandt. In the Duke of Cambridge's Sale (June 1904) was a circular onyx cameo of Saint George slaying the Dragon (The lesser George of the most noble Order of the Gar...
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CAPUTI (Ital.). Medallist of the early part of the present century. There is a portrait of Cardinal Consalvi by him. Although the two names Capucci and Caputi occur in works of reference, I believe they represent only one artist, as Capucci, the gem-engraver is called Caputi in H. Lehnert's biography of the medallist Henri Francois Brandt. In the Duke of Cambridge's Sale (June 1904) was a circular onyx cameo of Saint George slaying the Dragon (The lesser George of the most noble Order of the Gar...
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CAQUÉ, ARMAND AUGUSTE
CAQUÉ, ARMAND AUGUSTE (French). Medallist, born at Saintes in 1793 ; pupil of the Royal School at Rochefort, the Ecole d'application at Metz, and of Raymond Gayrard. From 1817-1818, he was employed as Assistant-engraver at the Mint of the Hague. Under Napoleon III., he was appointed Engraver to the Imperial Cabinet, a post which he held from 1853 to 1868. He died in Paris in December, 1881. Caqué largely contributed to Durand's " Series Numismatica Universalis Virorum Illustrium". Dr Weber menti...
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CAQUÉ, ARMAND AUGUSTE (French). Medallist, born at Saintes in 1793 ; pupil of the Royal School at Rochefort, the Ecole d'application at Metz, and of Raymond Gayrard. From 1817-1818, he was employed as Assistant-engraver at the Mint of the Hague. Under Napoleon III., he was appointed Engraver to the Imperial Cabinet, a post which he held from 1853 to 1868. He died in Paris in December, 1881. Caqué largely contributed to Durand's " Series Numismatica Universalis Virorum Illustrium". Dr Weber menti...
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CARADOSSO, CRISTOFANO
CARADOSSO, CRISTOFANO (Ital.). Goldsmith, Medallist, Coin-, and Gem-engraver. He was born at Mondonico, in the province of Como, circa 1445, and died at the beginning of 1527. He usually styled himself " Caradosso del Mundo". This celebrated artist flourished at Milan under Ludovico ll Moro, and after the fall of this prince, worked at Rome under the popes Julius II., Leo X., and Clement VII. Benvenuto Cellini praises him in very high terms as one of the greatest artists of his time and extols h...
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CARADOSSO, CRISTOFANO (Ital.). Goldsmith, Medallist, Coin-, and Gem-engraver. He was born at Mondonico, in the province of Como, circa 1445, and died at the beginning of 1527. He usually styled himself " Caradosso del Mundo". This celebrated artist flourished at Milan under Ludovico ll Moro, and after the fall of this prince, worked at Rome under the popes Julius II., Leo X., and Clement VII. Benvenuto Cellini praises him in very high terms as one of the greatest artists of his time and extols h...
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CARAGLIO, GIOVAN JACOPO
CARAGLIO, GIOVAN JACOPO (Ital.). Line, and Gem-engraver, Medallist, and Architect. He was a native of Verona, where we find him working as early as 1526, and where he also died in 1570 (or 1571). He spent about thirty years at the court of Sigismund I. of Poland, and while there (circa 1540) executed medals of this King, and of his consort, Bona Sforza, which have not come down to us, and one of Alessandro Pesenti, a Veronese, in the service of Bona Sforza, with bust on obv., and musical instrum...
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CARAGLIO, GIOVAN JACOPO (Ital.). Line, and Gem-engraver, Medallist, and Architect. He was a native of Verona, where we find him working as early as 1526, and where he also died in 1570 (or 1571). He spent about thirty years at the court of Sigismund I. of Poland, and while there (circa 1540) executed medals of this King, and of his consort, Bona Sforza, which have not come down to us, and one of Alessandro Pesenti, a Veronese, in the service of Bona Sforza, with bust on obv., and musical instrum...
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