FRANZ FERDINAND'S MEDALS, PART TWO

In June of 1914 Franz Ferdinand visited Bosnia. On June 26 and 27 as Army Inspector General, he took part in maneuvers in the mountains near Sarajevo while Sophie stayed in Ilidza, a spa near the city. On the morning of June 28 they arrived in Sarajevo from Ilidza to spend the day before departing for home.

Also in Sarajevo was a small terrorist cell comprised mainly of young Bosnian Serbs committed to killing Franz Ferdinand which they hoped would lead to Bosnian independence or its union with Serbia.

On the morning of June 28th, on their way to a reception at city hall. one of the plotters threw a bomb at the imperial couple's vehicle. It detonated after their car had passed, injuring multiple bystanders as well as an Austrian officer riding in a vehicle that was behind them.

After a brief reception at City Hall, the decision was made to limit their stay in Sarajevo to a brief visit to the hospital where the wounded officer from their entourage was being treated. On the way there, one of the plotters, 17 year old Gavrilo Princep fired several shots killing both Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. (The above paragraphs are based on the Wikipedia articles on Franz Ferdinand, Young Bosnia, the Black Hand and the Brook-Shepherd biography).

While Franz Ferdinand had not been popular during his lifetime, his death and that of his wife triggered an outpouring of sympathy. One manifestation of this was the production of mourning medals. I have identified six such medals designed by four different Austrian engravers.

Two of these medals were engraved by Arnold Hartig. In my opinion, they feature the highest quality medallic portraits of the Archduke. The most common of the two has a small bust on the obverse and on the reverse the date of his murder. This 50mm medal is the most frequently encountered of the medals marking the assassination.

The other medal designed by Hartig is 65mm in diameter and is uniface. It features a full bust of the Archduke.

Hartig was a prolific artist whose career spanned the period from about 1905 into the 1950's. Portrait medals were his speciality. During World War I, he produced medals depicting military leaders and battle scenes. After the war he executed portrait medals of a wide variety of people including popes and cardinals, noted professors, and especially classical composers including Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn,Strauss, and Wagner. Many of his medals are readily available on eBay and MA-Shops, which are the main sources for the above.

Rudolph Marschall designed a 70mm X 55mm uniface plaquette which features a full bust of the Archduke.

Marschall was a skilled portraitist whose subjects included Franz Joseph and other Hapsburgs, Vienna mayor Carl Lueger, Pope Leo XIII, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Joseph Haydn, and a variety of individuals of prominence in Austria in the first half or the 20th century. Medals he designed are readily available on eBay and MA Shops, the main sources for the above.

A fourth medal commemorating the murder was engraved by Rudolf Weinberger. It is 50mm in diameter and features a front facing bust of the Archduke on the obverse. The reverse features a prostate male figure strangled by a snake. The medal was struck in both bronze and zinc. The example in my collection is the latter. This medal appears to be quite scarce in any metal.

Weinberger was particularly active during World War I designing numerous medals depicting rulers and military leaders, including Franz Joseph and Kaiser Wilhelm and General Conrad Hotzendorf, the Chief of the Austrian General Staff. See entry on Numista.com.

Rudolf Bachmann designed two medals to mark the murder: a uniface plaquette measuring 43mm x 43mm and a small medallion/badge with a diameter of 24mm The reverse depicts the Archduke's coat of arms and has a small clip or fob attached. These medals have the distinction of being the only ones I know of that depict Sophie and as well as her husband.

Bachmann, who died in 1933, was an Austrian painter, sculptor and engraver who was particularly active during World War I, designing numerous medals depicting military figures. See his entry in Numista.com.

I welcome any corrections and of course would be interested to learn of any additional Franz Ferdinand medals readers.

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