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V18 2015 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 18, Number 39, September 27, 2015, Article 23

PARIS MINT ORPHEUS MEDAL

I literally said "whoa" when I saw this medal in Joe Levine's E-Mail Token and Medal Mini Sale List #102, published earlier this week. Perhaps Whitman should consider a "100 Greatest Mythological Figures on Medals" book. Here's a great cover piece, which Joe notes has been recognized before in numismatic literature. To contact Joe, write to: jlevine968@aol.com . -Editor

Orpheus medal

“ORPHEUS”, (1899). Obverse type of CGI: 3-100C; Maier 223. 114mm (4.5") Bronze Marie-Alexandre Lucien Coudray, Sc. (Paris Mint) Uniface. A lovely Uncirculated example! Obverse bust of Orpheus with long wavy tresses to half left, grasping a lyre in his left hand

Orpheus was a Thracian poet and musician, son of Apollo and Caliope. When his wife Eurydice died, he descended to Hades, and so pleased Pluto by his music that the god allowed him to lead her back to earth on the condition that he should not look behind him. However, he looked back, and Eurydice vanished among the shades. One of the classics of Art-Nouveau, the obverse was used as a cover design for Mark Jones' The Art of the Medal. This medal, with a golden bronze finish and a modern royal blue Monnaie De Paris box, is undoubtedly a relatively modern production. However, its extra large size makes it particularly desirable. $175.00



Wayne Homren, Editor

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