210, Lot: 372. Estimate $100. Sold for $156. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ITALY, Papal Medals. Paul IV (Giampietro Carafa). 1555-1559. Æ Medal (23mm, 6.61 g, 12h). Dated year 5 (1559). · PAVLVS · IIII · PONT · MAX · AN · V ·, bust right, wearing zucchetto and mantum / BEATI · QVI · CVSTODIVNT · VIAS · MEAS, draped and nimbate bust of Christ left. Mazio 81; Lincoln 580. Near EF, die crack on reverse.

From the Luparello Collection.

Born to a noble family in Capriglia Irpina, Paul IV was known as a strict reformer and a champion of the Counter-Reformation and fought for highly conservative principles. He issued the papal bull Cum nimis absurdum, which created the Roman Ghetto and forced Rome’s Jews to relocate there. He placed particular emphasis on the eradication of heresy and sought to crack down on Protestantism and the printing press by banning works by Protestant authors as well as new translations of the Latin Bible.