Devotional medals, which are pendants of various shapes depicting religious themes, became widespread in the Christian world in the 16th century. In archaeology, they are most commonly found when excavating grave sites since they were personal items buried with the deceased. They were used as a daily reminder to the religious person of his or her faith. Devotional medals are usually oval, but can also be round, octagonal, rhomboid or heart-shaped. They are the most numerous objects of devotion and usually depict Jesus or Mary, various saints, holy objects or places.

Antonio Pisano (Pisanello) is thought to have been the first medallist. Devotional medals were first made by mould casting, and later, from the 16th century, by minting, for which Leonardo da Vinci invented a special screw press. After da Vinci’s invention, other methods of machine minting appeared, such as the French balancier or roller press minting; the mass production of devotional medals began in mid-17th century. The largest mint in Europe that manufactured medals for various shrines was in Rome, but medals from the mints in Bohemia and Germany were also widespread. The medallist’s initials can sometimes be found on the medal. For example, four medals found at the city cemetery in Rijeka were signed GM, which are the initials of the Salzburg medallist Georg Messenlechner.