ORTOLANI, Giuseppi: Italy/Turkey, ca.1720, Bronze, 73 mm
Obv: Bust of Ottoboni (r) wearing lace cravat and long wig ANTONIVS OTTHOBON (VS). CAP (ITANEVS). GEN (ERALIS). S (ANCTAE): R (OMANAE): E (CCLESIAE):
Rev: The Apotheosis of the General: the Roman Wolf and the Venetian Lion pulling a celestial chariot carrying Religion and other figures, all above a land and sea-scape. CIVITATES IMPIORVM DESTRVET D(OMI)N(V)S. ET LATOS FACIET. TERM(IN)OS FIDEI
Signed: GIOS(EPH). ORTOL(ANVS). F(ECIT).
Extremely Rare
Ref: See Johnson p. 200, fig. 208; Vannel and Toderi p. 28, fig. 19; Forrer IV p. 332;  Europese Penningen # 1400;  Voltolina 1084; Serenissma II, 133; Toderi [1990] 56

Antonio Ottoboni (1646-1720), a nephew of Alexander VIII, was appointed Captain General of the army of the Papal States (Generale di Santa Chiesa) in 1689. He was Papal General for the period of the war against the Turks. Ottoboni was ‘Cavagliere et Procuratore di San Marco’, a man of music, letters and a poet. He married Maria Moretti; their son Pietro (1667-1740) became a Cardinal.

The medal appears to have been struck on a cast flan, perhaps around 1720. Although Voltolina and Serenissma both date the medal to 1689, the reverse design (and the fact that the medallist would have been only about 15 years old) confirm the date of 1720.