NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: JULY 21, 2024

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V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 29, July 21, 2024, Article 21

Numismagram's Jeremy Bostwick sent along these five medals from his most recent upload of new material to his site. For all of the new items, please visit https://www.numismagram.com/inventory. -Editor

102701 | AUSTRIA. Holy Roman Empire. Marriage of Joseph II to Maria Josepha silver Medal. Issued 1765 (39mm, 26.16 g, 12h). By A. Widemann. IOSEPH • II • R • REX S • A • M IOSEPHA BAV • CAROLI VII • FILIA, draped busts right of Joseph, laureate and armored, and Josepha // AVSPICIA FELICITATIS PVBL•, Austria, holding baton, and winged Genius, holding torch and wreath, standing around altar bearing coats-of-arms of Austria and Bavaria; in two lines in exergue, VOTA SECVNDA MDCCLXV / XXIII IAN. Edge: Plain. Montenuovo 1938; Wittelsbach 2249. PCGS SP-63. Mostly gunmetal gray toning, with intense iridescence around the devices and a great lustrous brilliance in the fields. No doubt one of the most attractive examples of the type extant, and the sole representative in the PCGS census. $595.

102832 | UNITED STATES. Philadelphia. Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul silvered white metal Medal. Issued 1864 (79mm, 223.56 g, 12h). By A. Paquet. CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL, PHILADELPHIA, frontal view of the cathedral; in two lines in exergue, BEGUN 1846 / COMPLETED 1864 // TU ES PETRUS ET SUPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM / VAS ELECTIONIS EST MIHI ISTE UT PORTET NOMEN MEUM CORAM GENTIBUS, perspective interior view, from a vantage point just left of center. Edge: Plain. Eidlitz 1129. Choice Mint State. Later silvering and engraving in 1890, as is fairly customary for the type; alluring matte surfaces. Includes original case of issue. Previously housed in an NGC Details holder on account of the "altered surfaces." Nevertheless, NGC has straight-graded other examples with such silvering and later engraving, so their tougher stance in this instance merely points to their wild inconsistencies. Compare to these such straight-graded examples, which have had identical post-mint alterations. [https://archive.stacksbowers.com/?q=3c5a3c96-696b-43e4-b5bd-311c5084a458] A very rare and extremely popular type. Ex: Bowers & Merena (September 1985), lot 3208. $1,095.

102640 | GERMANY. Halley's Comet silver Medal. Issued 1910. Commemorating the famous periodic comet (44mm, 29.84 g, 12h). By K. Goetz at the München mint. JEDE WOLKE–SO SCHWARZ SIE DROHT–DEM HIMMEL ZUGEWANDT= / DOCH IHRE LICHTE SONNENSEITE HAT (each cloud as black as it may threaten, has its light side which is turned towards the sun) / KOMET HALLEY, facing personification of the sun, with smaller sun faces surrounding; below, the comet traveling toward the sun // The constellations Orion and Canis Major pursuing that of Lepus to right; above, the constellations Serpens and Cetus, through which the comet passes; the twelve signs of the zodiac around. Edge: Plain. Kienast 71. PCGS MS-62. Extremely mirrored and prooflike, with some subtle toning at the peripheries and elegant frosting upon the devices. Somewhat conservatively assessed in the opinion of this cataloger. A fairly scarce and interesting non-satirical type from the hand of Goetz, far more difficult to encounter than the bronze version. The only such example in silver observed in the PCGS census. $1,985.

102790 | UNITED STATES & GERMANY. Woodrow Wilson cast bronze Medal. Issued 1916. "Wilson im Weltkrieg als eifriger Notenschreiber" (Wilson in the World War, the Diligent Writer of Notes) (73mm, 122.99 g, 12h). By H. Lindl in Berlin. OHNE FLEISS KEINEN PREIS (without diligence, no reward), Wilson seated facing slightly left at table, writing memorandum and clasping bag of money; in three lines in exergue, WILSON IM WELTKRIEG / ALS EIFRIGER NOTEN / SCHREIBER (Wilson in the world war, the diligent writer of notes) // NEUTRALITÄT U GERECHTIGKEIT (neutrality and justice), nude female figure of Justice, blindfolded, holding pair of scales in which sit a German eagle and a British bulldog; behind, Death (as a skeleton), guiding her and tipping the scales in favor of Great Britain. Edge: Plain. Klose –; Art of Devastation p. 279, 74 (AoD 7513.12914.3.a); Jones, Dance of Death, 36; Frankenhuis 1458. Choice Mint State. Charming brown surfaces, with some lighter hints upon the higher points. Very rare. Ex David Nicholas Silich Collection. Ex Baldwin's 90 (24 September 2014), lot 2127. $695.

102786 | GREAT BRITAIN & UKRAINE. Sellafield and Chernobyl silver Medal. Issued 1986. Fallout (30mm, 25.56 g, 3h). By M. Appleby. Representations of flora and fauna (tree, fish, and goat) affected by the impact of nuclear fallout and other airborne environmental disasters; all within vertical 'cat eye' border // FALLOUT / 1986 around horizontal 'cat eye' border. Edge: Multiple hallmarks and 32. The Medal 10 (Winter 1986), p. 74; Attwood 37 & pp. 28-29. Essentially as Made. Highly lustrous and tactile, with some attractive iridescent toning. A powerful and rare piece, 1 of just 39 hand struck by the artist from hand engraved dies (serial number 32). $395.