After Hans Reinhart the Elder (ca. 1510-1581) | German, probably late 16th century | Trinity Medal

Private collection, Germany

Hans Reinhart’s Trinity Medal is among the masterpieces of German medal making in the Renaissance. A citizen of Leipzig, Reinhart was celebrated as one of the most innovative medallists of the 16th century, known for his bold three-dimensional designs, which he often cast separately and then assembled. The Trinity Medal was commissioned from Reinhart by Maurice, Duke of Saxony in 1544 for the occasion of his confrontation with the Emperor Charles V, whose catholic belief was opposed by a group of Protestant princes and cities. Depicting the Holy Trinity on the obverse, and a pair of angels bearing an inscription on the reverse, the medal is inscribed with texts relating to the Trinity in an apparent attempt to reconcile Catholic and Protestant doctrine. The success of Reinhart’s model led to several subsequent versions being made in the medallist’s workshop dated between 1556 and 1574, the last three inscribed with the name of Augustus, Maurice’s successor.

Examples of the Trinity Medal are found in numerous public collections, including the Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen Berlin (inv. no. 18201146), the British Museum (inv. no. 1908,0306.1), the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg (dated 1569, inv. no. Med2596) and the V&A Museum (also dated 1569, inv. no. 4053-1856). A version dated 1544 was sold at Morton & Eden, London, as part of the estate of John R. Gaines on 8 December 2005 (lot 42). The present cast follows the 1544 model but is slightly smaller than its prime versions which are considered period (103mm.), indicating that it was made at a later date, perhaps by a workshop member or follower. Though a fine cast, it exhibits less elaborate modelling in the details and other discrepancies, notably the IHS inscribed on the shield on the reverse, and the absence of the HR signature on the obverse. The chain mounting is comparable with that of a medal with the Adoration of the Magi in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 1975.1.1325) ascribed to a follower of Hans Reinhart, circa 1580-1600.

RELATED LITERATURE
G. Habich, Die deutschen Schaumünzen des 16. Jahrhunderts, Munich 1932, no. 1962; M. Trusted, German Renaissance Medals: A Catalogue of the Collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1990, pp. 98-99; W. Steguweit, 'Die Dreifaltigkeitsmedaille von Hans Reinhart d. Ä. (um 1510-1581)', in Münzenrevue, vol. 12, 2012, pp. 141-147