An interest in antiquarianism spread throughout Europe during the Renaissance. Ancient coins, mostly archaeological finds but some outright copies, were highly sought after and were often used to decorate objects. The base of this beaker has three embossed medallions with heads in profile in imitation of classical styles. The coins on the tapering sides could be casts after ancient Roman coins or they might be poorly minted originals.

Literature
Elemér Kőszeghy. Magyarországi ötvösjegyek a középkortól 1867-ig / Merkzeichen der Goldschmiede Ungarns vom Mittelalter bis 1867. Budapest, 1936, nos. 1384a, 1403 [maker’s marks].
Fine English, Continental and American Silver . . . Objects of Vertu. Sale cat., Christie’s, New York, November 2, 1977, p. 44, no. 113.
Judit H. Kolba. Hungarian Silver: The Nicolas M. Salgo Collection. London, 1996, p. 58, no. 36.

Exhibited
Erdély régi művészeti emlékeinek kiállítása az Iparművészeti múzeumban / Ausstellung alten Kunstgewerbes aus Siebenbürgen. Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts. Budapest, 1931, p. 38, no. 177.

References
For similar examples, see Erdély régi művészeti emlékeinek kiállítása az Iparművészeti múzeumban / Ausstellung alten Kunstgewerbes aus Siebenbürgen. Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts. Budapest, 1931, p. 52, no. 261, pl. VI, and Baroque Splendor: The Art of the Hungarian Goldsmith. Exh. cat. by István Fodor et al. Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts. New York, 1994, p. 98, no. 4, and p. 125, no. 57.

[Wolfram Koeppe 2015]