NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: DECEMBER 8, 2024

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V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 49, December 8, 2024, Article 17

Jeremy Bostwick with Numismagram forwarded these four medals from his upload of new medallic art to his site. For all of the new items, please visit https://www.numismagram.com/inventory. -Editor

103018 | GERMANY. Nürnberg. Marriage silver Medal. Issued circa 1700 (42mm, 12h). By Georg Hautsch. GOTT GEBE SEINEN SEGEN REICHLICH VBER EVCH (May God grant unto you his manifold blessings), young bridal couple standing facing one another, holding hands before God the Father, who blesses the marriage; guardian angel to the left, old man to the right, radiant sun above // LAST VNS GOTT BITTEN, DEN WIR SIND KINDER D HEILIGN (Let us ask God, for we are all children of the Holy One), bridal pair kneeling in prayer before the burning brazier; to the left, angel kneeling left, driving sword through the head of a demon; marriage bed in the background. GPH 1025; Erlanger Coll. 2209. NGC AU-58. Lightly toned, with a good deal of alluring brilliance. A stunning example of the type that is seemingly a bit conservatively assessed, especially by the standards of the two major services. $495.

While one may now purchase a silver round, usually struck to the weight of one ounce and with a variety of religions-themed designs, as a gift for a couple's impending or recent nuptials, the practice is in no way modern. In 18th and 19th century Germany in particular, the practice was commonplace, with mints in Nürnberg striking countless tokens and medals to be used as marriage gifts. These various workshops were not limited to just marriage commemoratives, however, as other religious-themed topics were routinely struck for presentation, such as baptisms and confirmations, while others touched upon parables throughout the Bible. One of the leading references for this area of medallic art is Kreß auction 115 from 1960, which presented the combined collections of Marie Luise Goppel and Dr. Plum-Holler, commonly referred to as Goppel-Plum-Holler, or simply GPH. This item was featured in our E-Sylum ad.

102994 | UNITED STATES & FRANCE. La Régiment de la Calotte bronze Medal Issued circa 1715 (44mm, 34.17 g, 12h). By Joseph-Charles Roettiers at the Paris mint. RIDERE REGNARE EST (to laugh is to rule), Folley seated slightly right on throne set upon the clouds, holding scepter surmounted by Jester's head // LUNA DUCE AUSPICE MOMO (with the moon as our leader, and under the auspices of Momus), coat-of-arms of the régiment: oval shield decorated with the three phases of the moon above scepter, surmounted by Jester's head, set upon field of bees; above, facing helmet decorated with bells and surmounted by weathervane above cat left; to left and right, simian supporters, each with their heads turned outward and holding smoking cornucopias; all set upon floral scroll. Edge: Very subtle bruise, otherwise plain. [C. Wyllys] Betts –; [Benjamin] Betts XXXVII; Adams S-3; McDowell 1140. Mint State. Glossy brown surfaces. $365. remains a popular analog with the actual corpus of Betts medals.

Struck for the Régiment de la Calotte, a festive and carnival society of military origin, this medal has been traditionally (and rather erroneously) ascribed to John Law, the famous Scottish economist of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Surrounded by a bad reputation for the disastrous results of his financial and economic adventures—such as the Mississippi bubble—he is now considered to have been a forerunner in his field. The whimsical nature of this medal could be viewed as a satire upon Law, with Benjamin Betts initially considering it a ridicule of the "Bubble-blower," but later acknowledging in his article "John Law and his Medals (continued)" in the January 1907 American Journal of Numismatics (vol. 41, no. 3) that the type listed as XXXVII was then no longer considered an applicable type. Given its presence, however, in a reference penned by an author named Betts, the type has oftentimes continued to be associated with John Law, possibly with unscrupulous or unknowing dealers and auction houses confusing the already unnecessary Benjamin Betts listing as, in fact, that of C. Wyllys Betts—the author of the reference commonly known for early American and related types. Though the attribution to the jovial French society is, indeed, correct, and though it is not associated with the exploits of John Law, it nevertheless remains a popular analog with the actual corpus of Betts medals.

102752 | NETHERLANDS. Dutch Household Society silver Medal. Issued 1828 for the society's 50th anniversary (48mm, 35.83 g, 12h). By Johann Georg Holtzhey. EER EN VOORDEEL (there is an advantage...), warrior, in ancient armor, standing right, crowning female figure of Industry standing to the left, leaning upon beehive to the right; rising sun at a distance, cornucopia between them // HET / VIJFTIGJARIG / BESTAAN / DER NEDERL. / HUISH MAATSCHAPPIJ / GEVIERD / 1828 in eight lines; all within garlanded oak wreath. Edge: Plain. Dirks 309. PCGS SP-64.

Incredibly vibrant on the obverse, with intense color, along with a blast white reverse; stunning prooflike brilliance throughout. Rare in silver, and the only example observed in the PCGS census. $795. Growing out of a Dutch society for the promotion of trade, industry, and prosperity, the economic branch was founded in 1777 and sought to encourage entrepreneurs to find work for the poor and train children in spinning and weaving vocations. This item was featured in our e-Sylum ad.

103017 | SWEDEN. Alfred Nobel silver Award Medal. Issued 1920 for participation on the nominating committee for the prize in medicine (26mm, 12h). By Erik Lindberg (in 1901). Bust left; ALFR• / NOBEL – NAT• / MDCCC / XXXIII / OB• / MDCCC / XCVI across field // INVENTAS • VITAM • IUVAT • EXCOLUISSE • PER • ARTES (and they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery), basin and serpent-entwined staff of Aeculapius; wreath behind. Edge: SILVER 1920. Ehrensvärd 22; Lagerqvist 3A. PCGS SP-62. Gunmetal gray toning, with some hints of iridescence and pleasing brilliance. Tied with just two others for the top spot in the PCGS census for the date. $495.

One of Lindberg's early tasks was the creation of the Nobel Prize medals, the Nobel institution for the awarding of these prizes having been newly established. Outside of the Peace Prize (presented instead in Oslo) and the Economics Prize (created much later by the Sveriges Riksbank and not considered part of the Nobel canon), Lindberg's renditions continue to be used for the prize medals to this day, as well as the medals presented to the respective nominating committees. Though the actual prize medals are almost never encountered in the market, the nominating medals do appear and have become quite popular as they are generally as close as one can realistically get to an actual prize medal.