Intern Pick: Dobla of Alfonso of Aragon (r. 1465-68), also known as Alfonso I of Naples (r. 1442-58)
Written by Leo Fein
February 20, 2025
For my first Intern Pick, I selected the Lowe’s only coin on view, the Dobla of Alfonso of Aragon (r. 1465-68), also known as Alfonso I of Naples (r. 1442-58), which is part of a long-term loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This dobla, a valuable denomination of gold coin introduced in Late Medieval Spain, was minted in Southern Italy under the rule of the Aragonese. Ancient and medieval coins are one of my absolute favorite research areas of art history. Before the advent of newspapers or radio broadcasts, the images on coins were one of the only ways for rulers to communicate messages to their subjects. It was an extremely effective form of propaganda, as coins were handled by all levels of society and were central to people’s everyday lives. This dobla is a fantastic example of this type of royal messaging. It also demonstrates some of the interesting dynamics at play in Western Mediterranean politics during the period.
The obverse (the “heads” side) of this coin contains a scene of King Alfonso of Aragon, identified by his crown, riding a horse and brandishing a sword. Both the horse and the rider are fully decked out in armor and look ready for battle, with Alfonso himself wearing the full plate and pointed visor typical of the period. I love the amount of detail and action that the engraver was able to fit into such a small “canvas.” The drapery of the rider’s cape, the swing of his sword, and the gallop of the horse give this coin a great sense of movement. The action of this scene is enhanced by the fact that the king’s sword and the plumes of his helmet break beyond the decorative border. This detail makes the image come to life. You can almost see the horse racing forward beyond the edge of the design, and can imagine the king riding into battle and cutting down an enemy. The motif of kings being portrayed on horseback (like equestrian statues from antiquity into the present) is common in Early Modern coins from Western Europe, and it served to emphasize the king’s military prowess. Alfonso is enclosed within decorative circular forms, which separate the scene from the inscription that wraps around the coin’s edge.
The reverse (the “tails” side) displays the new flag of the Kingdom of Naples, which was adopted after it was conquered by Aragon in the year 1442. The legends contain the various titles of Alfonso and list the territories that he ruled. They also refer to him as Dominus Noster, “our lord,” and Dei Gratia Rex, “king by the grace of God.”
The Crown of Aragon, which issued this coin, was based in Eastern Spain, a region that grew rich because of its trade connections with the rest of the Mediterranean basin. Over the course of the Late Middle Ages, the Aragonese used their strategic position and wealth to expand beyond Spain, as they conquered Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, most of Southern Italy, and parts of what are today Greece and Southern France. This was truly an example of an early modern empire; one based on naval power and vast wealth from commerce.
This historical context allows us to better understand the message that King Alfonso was trying to transmit through this coin. The flag on the reverse indicates that the dobla was minted in Naples, which had only recently been incorporated into the empire. The flag is quartered, with the Aragonese yellow and red striped banner taking up half of the design, and the previous Neapolitan flag, with the fleur-de-lis symbol, only comprising a small portion of the remaining quarters. With the obverse design and the inscriptions, King Alfonso is portraying himself to his new subjects as a mighty warrior who rules various rich lands. By having the flag of Aragon dominate native Neapolitan symbols, the coin contrasts the strength of Aragon and its king with the relative weakness and irrelevance of Naples. The implication of these details, when considered together, is clear; Naples was now a mere vassal of the powerful Aragonese Crown, and the military might of King Alfonso would keep the new territory in check.
Interestingly, there seems to be an error in the dating of this particular coin. The timeline below demonstrates the discrepancies between the attribution of the dobla and the dates of King Alfonso’s life. The Metropolitan Museum of Art attributes the coin to an “Alfonso of Aragon,” who was the king of Naples from 1442-58 and later became the king of Aragon from 1465-68. However, Alfonso V, who ruled Naples during those dates, died in 1458. He also didn’t start as a Neapolitan ruler who later became the king of Aragon; he was already the king of Aragon who went on to conquer Naples. When I searched for an “Alfonso of Aragon” who ruled between 1465 and 1468, the only sources that I could find were sites dating this particular coin. It seems that at some point, someone misdated or misattributed this coin, and each website has been copying the incorrect dates since. The new date specifies that the dobla was likely minted soon after the conquest of Naples, instead of between twenty to forty years afterwards, as the Metropolitan Museum of Art claims.
This timeline showcases the differences between the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s attribution of the dobla and the dates of Alfonso V of Aragon’s reign and death. Graphic created by Leo Fein.
The fact that this coin was minted closer to the Aragonese conquest would have made its political warning to the Neapolitans even more relevant. Aragon needed to control a recently annexed and potentially rebellious territory, rather than an established part of its empire. I think that this exercise is important because it shows us how even small errors in the dating and attribution pieces of art can dramatically impact their meanings. It teaches us that we always need to review and revise museum findings to ensure we are telling the most accurate and relevant stories about objects from the past.
References: Ardzrooni, Leon. “Commerce and Industry in Spain During Ancient and Mediaeval Times.” Journal of Political Economy, vol. 21, no. 5, 1913, pp. 432–453.
Frey, Albert R. “A Dictionary of Numismatic Names: Their Official and Popular Designations” American Journal of Numismatics (1897-1924), vol. 50, 1916, pp. 1–331.
Image: Dobla of Alfonso of Aragon (r. 1465–68), also known as Alfonso I of Naples (r. 1442–58) (front and reverse), 1465–83. Gold, Diam. 1 1/8 x 1/16 in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of C. Ruxton Love Jr., 1967.
Leo Fein is a Museum Education Intern at the Lowe for Spring 2025. Currently a sophomore at the University of Miami, Leo is majoring in history and Spanish while minoring in anthropology and art history. He has had a strong interest in world history from a young age. To foster this passion, Leo has worked as a history tutor and competed in history competitions for the past ten years, culminating in a championship in the National Ancient History Bee. At UM, he specializes in ancient and medieval Europe, focusing on the art of the classical world. Two of his research papers have been presented at undergraduate research conferences. Other specific research interests include pre-modern Judaism, Byzantine mosaics, ancient numismatics.
Leo hopes to bring this experience to the Lowe in order to provide fun and engaging tours. A Miami native, he is looking forward to connecting his local community with South Florida’s best collection of world art.
