Maria Maddalena Morelli (1727–1800)

A celebrated poet and improviser, Morelli was a member of the Arcadia with the name Corilla Olimpica and was awarded the highest poetic honor when she was crowned on the Campidoglio in Rome in 1776. One of the celebratory sonnets dedicated to her for the event describes the strange scene reproduced on the reverse: an allegory of "primitive" peoples who, envying the light of the sun, representing culture and wisdom, foolishly shoot arrows at it. Any insult thrown in jealousy is quick to turn against the sender, like the arrows falling back down. The message served as a warning to Morelli's enemies.

Source: Scher, Stephen K., et al. The Scher Collection of Commemorative Medals. New York and London, 2019.