{On the ribbon around his neck:}
M?? Martini Beati
His ringlets are formed by coins. Loose copies of an old penny are placed at the bottom corners: head (a young Victoria) at the left, tail (Britannia encircled by "One Penny") at the right. The top, from the hairline up, looks like it might be a reclaimed original stone keystone but from there down it has a look of a more recent plaster creation.
A small plastic plaque is placed about a foot above the head with the reference: YSSC 30200. We think this is a York Survey measurement plaquette used by building surveyors and so nothing to do with this keystone, but we might be wrong.
The coins must refer to the location, Change Alley. Beati can mean happy or wealthy but it is also the plural of Saint. We wonder if the work was created by a student of St Martins School of Art?
Site: Martini Beati - keystone head (1 memorial)
EC3, Change Alley
This keystone strikes us as probably a piece of guerrilla art. We spotted it in March 2019 and we know from Google Street View that it was installed in or before August 2016. The name 'Change Alley' refers to the nearby Exchange. The alley provided a convenient route from the Royal Exchange to the Post Office on Lombard Street.
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