USSR Commemorative medal for the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo's Birth, 1976

Abstract

General Description: This medal was issued in the USSR in 1976 to mark the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo's birth, celebrated the previous year. It is composed of patinated aluminum in an edition of 3800.

Obverse Description: The obverse features an original portrait of Michelangelo.

Reverse Description: The reverse juxtaposes the hands of Adam and God, respectively, from the Creation of Adam detail on the Sistine Chapel ceiling with the center inscription "ΔA BeπPЯHYπPOTиB TLMLI"

Historical Context:

Artist Biography: Alex Shagin was born in 1947 near Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in the former USSR. He graduated from the Vera Mukhina Higher School of Art and Design in Leningrad (now the Saint Petersburg Art and Industry Academy) in 1972. He was a successful designer of commemorative coins and medals for the Leningrad Mint until emigrating to the United States in 1980. He is considered a pioneer in the development of the freestanding medal and in 1995 won the J. Sanford Saltus Award from the American Numismatic Society.

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