The pope rarely affixed a golden bull, with the usual typological characteristics, to documents of particular importance. From a technical point of view, due to the peculiarity of the metal, the production procedures were very different from the ones used for lead bulls. Structural procedures provided for two thin gold leaves welded between them, or a solid golden round made by fusion. It was often necessary to build a special matrix and great attention was given to the manual finishing of the iconographical details of both sides.
The papal golden bulls of the medieval period did not reach us. The oldest one dates back to the 5th March 1524, during the pontificate of Clement VII. The Secret Vatican Archives has one belonging to this pontiff, affixed to the document announcing the crowning of the Emperor Charles V, which took place in Bologna between the 22nd and 24th February 1530.
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The recto and the verso of the seal of Clement VII
ASV, A.A., Arm. I-XVIII, 253
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