VATICAN CITY STATE
REIGN OF JOHN PAUL I (AUGUST 26, 1978 - SEPTEMBER 28, 1978)
RARE PLATINUM MEDALLIC ISSUE -CHOICE MATTE PROOF CONDITION
OBV: HEAD AND SHOULDER BUST OF JOHN PAUL I WEARING ZUCCETO, CHASUBLE AND PALLIUM; DIVIDED LEGEND "IOANNES PAVLVS I" AND "MCMLXXVIII".
REV: WINGED SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL IN ARMOR AND HELM AND BEARING SPEAR THRUSTING DOWNWARD TO IMPALE THE FALLEN ANGEL LUCIFER, THE DEVIL, WINGED WITH TAIL, PRONE UNDER MICHAEL'S FOOTÂ AND GUARDING HIS FACE WITH HIS ARM; DIVIDEDÂ LATIN LEGEND "VIVAT DEUS (MAY GOD LIVE)"
BORN ALBINO LUCIANI IN FORNO DI CANALE (NOW CALLED CANALE D'AGORDO), ITALY IN 1912. THE SON OF A BRICKLAYER, HEÂ ENTERED THE Â SEMINARY IN 1923 AND WAS ORDAINED A PRIEST IN 1935.
HIS EARLY CAREER WAS ONE OF STUDY (EARNING A DOCTORATE MAGNA CUM LAUDE IN 1941) AND TEACHING AT SEMINARY UNTIL HIS APPOINTMENT AS VICAR-GENERAL TO THE BISHOP OF BELLUNO.
HE WAS APPOINTED BISHOP OF VITTORIO VENETO AND CONSECRATED BY POPE JOHN XXIII IN 1958 AND WAS MADE PATRIARCH OF VENICE BY POPE PAUL VI IN 1970 AND THEN CARDINAL-PRIEST OF ST. MARK'S BASILICA IN ROME THREE YEARS LATER.
IN 1978, PAUL VI DIED, AND ALBINO LUCIANI WAS ELECTED POPE. HE WAS THE FIRST POPE TO CHOOSE A DUAL NAME, GIOVANNI PAULO, IN EMULATION OF HIS TWO PREDECESSORS.
JOHN PAUL I HUMANIZED WITH HUMILITY THE OFFICEÂ TO WHICH HEÂ HAD BEEN CHOSEN. HE WAS KNOWNÂ A WARM , KIND AND GENTLE MAN AND AN EFFECTIVE ORATOR WHO IMPRESSED PEOPLE WITH HIS GENUINE AFFABILITY.
HE WAS KNOWN AS "THE SMILING POPE (IL PAPA DEL SORRISO)" AND "THE SMILE OF GOD (IL SORRISO DI DIO)".
POPE JOHN PAUL I DIED, PROBABLY OF A HEART ATTACK, ONLY 33 DAYSÂ AFTER HE STARTED HIS PONTIFICATE.
THIS MEDALLION BEARS THE SAME OBVERSE AS THE 32 MM VATICAN SILVER 1,000 LIRA COIN (THE ONLY COIN ISSUED UNDER JOHN PAUL I), BUT THE MEDAL BEARS A DIFFERENT OBVERSE WITHOUT DENOMINATION.
MEDALÂ CONTAINS 8.1 GRAMS OF PLATINUM
22 MM IN DIAMETER
