NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: MARCH 2019

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V22 2019 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 22, Number 10, March 10, 2019, Article 19

Jeremy Bostwick sent along these four medals and plaques from his most recent upload of new material at Numismagram. In addition to the pieces below, this month's offerings are rounded out by some high grade orders and decorations, a few other highly artistic plaques, a choice Admiral Vernon medal, a gem architectural type honoring Canterbury Cathedral, attractively toned medals for the Ford Motor Company and the LZ-127 Zeppelin, and an engraved token for traveling Wesleyan Methodist preacher Samuel Bates. -Editor

100596 | CHILE. Bronze Plaque. Issued 1910. Commemorating the centennial of Chilean Independence (42x60mm, 79.48 g, 12h). By R. Lalique. Personification of Chile, holding branch, standing facing within overgrown wheat fields; flowers below; in three lines in exergue, REPUBLICA DE CHILE / PRIMER / CENTENARIO / National flag over sunburst; mountainscape in background; coat-of-arms below. Edge: BRONZE and small triangular punch. Choice Mint State. Alluring warm brown surfaces, with just a hint of light rub on the highest points. A fairly rare and desirable piece; compare to an inferior example in Baldwin's 101 (28 September 2016), lot 3795, which realized a hammer of £300 [plus buyer's fee]). $435.

René Lalique was a famous French artist most known for his glass art during the Art Nouveau period, creating pieces such as perfume bottles, jewelry, chandeliers, and even automobile hood ornaments. A minor subset of his work was in the field of medallic art, of which there is only a small representation. The present piece commemorates the 100th anniversary of Chilean independence, and features Lalique's powerful yet elegant style for this important specimen of South American exonumia.

I wasn't aware of Lalique's medallic work. Great style. -Editor

100578 | UNITED STATES. Panama-Pacific International Exposition bronze award Medal. Issued 1915. Presented at the expo for the bronze award (70mm, 131.00 g, 12h). By J. Flanagan. Nude male and female (personifications of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans or eastern and western hemispheres) greeting one another as the sun rises over the Panama Canal in the background; DIVINE DISIVNCTA IVNXIT HOMO / PANAMA–PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION SAN-FRANCISCO / MCMXV, façade of the Tower of Jewels within wreath of palm fronds; MEDAL OF AWARD in garnished cartouche below. Edge: Plain. Baxter 114; Marqusee 150. Gem Mint State. Sublime matte surfaces, with a charming light bronze hue and subtle tone near the peripheries. Very rare this attractive and problem free. $465.

Designed by the famous American sculptor John Flanagan (best known in U.S. numismatics as the designer of the Washington quarter), the Panama-Pacific medal was issued as an award for many products and exhibits on display at the expo. Just 2,000 of these were struck and issued in bronze by the U.S. mint, and are now often encountered with spotting, scuffs, and other blemishes. The elegant design features personifications of the two oceans meeting, with the Panama Canal being at their middle. The expo itself was styled as a celebration of the completion of the canal (its first use was just six months before the opening of the expo), but in a wider sense, the fair gave the world a chance to see the recovery of host city San Francisco following the devastation of the 1906 earthquake.

A beautiful and rare medal. -Editor

100590 | UNITED STATES & SWEDEN. General Motors bronze Medal. Dated 1928. Commemorating the Formation of General Motors Nordiska AB in Stockholm (69mm, 119.18 g, 12h). By H. Neujd. Struck by Sporrong & Co. A CAR FOR EVERY PURSE AND PURPOSE, antique car facing slightly left; upon the seas to left, viking longship sailing right; rising sun in background / GENERAL MOTORS NORDISKA A–B / SWEDEN, viking warrior and Native American standing facing one another; factory in perspective in background; STOCKHOLM in exergue. Edge: SPORRONG & Co. Svensk Numismatisk Tidskrift (Feb. 2002), p. 16. Choice Mint State. Brilliant yellow-bronze surfaces, with a charming underlying luster. $295.

Having become a successful automaker through the acquisition of other early brands and outfits, General Motors began to expand in the 1920's from its Michigan foothold to markets in Europe, opening factories in Copenhagen (1923), Antwerp (1924), and Stockholm (1928). This Stockholm facility was located in the Hammarbyhamnen harbor area in the southern part of the city, and a bird's eye perspective view of the plant is featured on the reverse of this medal. The detail of the engraving by the medallist, Herman Neujd, was so precise that one can just make out the name 'GENERAL MOTORS' in columnar fashion down the giant smokestack.

Great piece. -Editor

100591 | UNITED STATES. World Power Conference bronze Plaque. Issued 1936. Commemorating the 3rd World Power Conference in Washington, D.C., from 7-12 September (114x83mm, 12h). By R. Chambellan. WORLD POWER CONFERENCE / TURBO-GENERATOR – CAPACITY 160,000 K•W• 1936 CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY OF NEW YORK INC, perspective view of the turbo generator; cityscape of New York in the background / Façade of the Edison Central Station; wreath to left, tree to right; in two lines in exergue, FIRST EDISON CENTRAL STATION – 1882 / 6 GENERATORS – TOTAL CAPACITY 1200 H•P•. Edge: Plain. Choice Mint State. Attractive yellow-bronze surfaces, with a charming matte nature. Very rare and interesting. $495.

The 3rd World Power Conference was held in Washington, D.C., from 7-12 September 1936, and concurrent with the 2nd Congress on Large Dams. Delegates from numerous nations were on hand to hear presentations on the state of energy in the world. Of note in relation to this plaque, Floyd L. Carlisle, chairman of the board of the Consolidated Edison Company of New York (ConEd), spoke on 10 September representing the electrical manufacturing group. The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt spoke and, during his speech, pressed a button to activate the flow of water–and subsequently, the generation of electricity–through Boulder (now Hoover) Dam.

Unusual topic, but a great piece for a collection on business and industry. -Editor