NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: MARCH 3, 2024

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V27 2024 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 27, Number 9, March 3, 2024, Article 18

Jeremy Bostwick with Numismagram forwarded along these five items 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

GREAT BRITAIN. House of Stuart carved bone Plaque. Produced mid-late 18th century (87mm x 73mm, 35.49 g). STVART, four draped busts to left and right, all facing inward: James I (IAMES .I.), Oliver Cromwell (OLIV.), William III (W.), and Mary II (M.) facing right, and Charles I (CHA .I.), Charles II (C .II.), James II (I .II.), and Anne (A.) facing left; all in bas-relief, with stippled background // Blank, though numerous grooves from the carving and smoothing. Edge: Somewhat beveled. Essentially as Made. Almond-ivory in color, with great smoothness and intricacy to the portraits. $1095.

A very interesting and seemingly unique piece on account of its hand-made nature, this bone carving displays the various members of the House of Stuart, along with, rather strangely, Oliver Cromwell, whose interlude with the British Commonwealth saw a brief pause of the monarchy in the mid-17th century. As such, this bears the portraits of the leading figures from the death of Elizabeth I in 1603 to the death of Anne (and the beginning of the House of Hanover) in 1714. Given the use of the "V" for a "U" in STVART, as well as a ligate letter form combining the ME in the name of James I, it would seem that a period of manufacture would lie sometime in the mid-late 18th century.

RUSSIA & SWEDEN. Peace of Nystadt (Uusikaupunki) white metal Medal. Issued circa 1770-1825. Commemorating the end of the Great Northern War (59mm, 53.91 g, 12h). By S. Judin. CONCORDI PACE LIGAMUR ("we are joined in harmony through peace..."), Noah's Ark sailing left across Gulf of Finland; in background, city views of St. Petersburg (to left) and Stockholm (to right), joined together under a rainbow; above, dove flies left, with branch in beak; in three lines in exergue, NeopoLI / post beLLI In septentrione / DILVVIVM ("...at Nystadt, after the flood that was the northern war"); ? (artist's signature = Yu [for Judin] to extreme left in water // M.O. P.F. / Principi / PETRO I / Nomine et factis stupendis / MAGNO / Russorum Imperatori / PATRIQUE / Post vicennales triumphos / SEPTENTRIONIS PACATORI / hoc ex auro vernaculo / Numisma / D.D. ("to prince Peter I, great in both name and deeds, emperor and father of the Russians, after twenty years of triumphs, the peacemaker of the north, this base metal medal is offered by decision of the Senate"). Edge: Somewhat beveled as made. Cf. Diakov 57.7 (bronze). Mint State details. Planchet slightly bent—very likely from manufacture; highly lustrous and enticing, and rather scarce; a few stray marks upon the reverse are noted for completeness. $395.

Following studies in Europe, Peter the Great returned to his native Russia with a desire to modernize his nation and turn her into a regional power upon the seas. Previously, Sweden had established herself as a dominant empire within the Baltic, but Peter's successful campaign of various allies ultimately saw a Russian victory in the Great Northern War, albeit after some 20 years. With victory secured through the Treaty of Nystadt, Russia added to her territorial holdings around the Baltic, further establishing her as a serious broker in European affairs going forward.

This medal, designed by Samuel Judin sometime in the later half of the 18th century, revives an earlier type designed at the time of the Treaty. It alludes to the war as the biblical flood, with Noah's Ark sailing under a rainbow, along with a dove overhead, indicative that the longstanding stryfe was finally over. Interestingly, the chronogram on the obverse contains a mistake, as it adds up to 1720, rather than 1721. Of note, the "N" in NeopoLI need not be capitalized, and the "I" in septentrione should be. Chronograms served as an innovative way to bear a date without using numbers. Each capitalized or larger letter in the legend is to be treated and added as a single roman numeral.

An error chronogram! I don't recall seeing another. Nice. -Editor

UNITED STATES, ITALY & NETHERLANDS. Christopher Columbus/"Danish" white metal Medal. Issued 1893. Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America (64mm, 93.46 g, 12h). By N. Fristrup, F. Schmahlfeld & V. Christesen in Copenhagen. CHICAGO 21 OCTBR 1892 / GUANAHANI 12 OCTBR 1492, Columbus and robed female advancing left on deck of ship; radiant star above; compass pattern in border, with directional markings at the top, bottom, left, and right // Eagle, with head left, banner in beak, wings spread, Union shield on breast, and branch and arrows in talons, standing upon ornate rectangular cartouche containing five-line inscription: ESPOSIZIONE UNIVERSALE / CHICAGO 1893 / IN MEMORIA DELL' ILLUSTRE / NAVIGATORE / CRISTOFORO COLOMBO; exposition buildings below, with wreath extending around lower border. Edge: Plain. Eglit 37 var. (bronze); Rulau X11A. Choice Mint State. Extremely lustrous and prooflike, with tantalizing brilliance in the fields. Please view the video in order to see the degree of brilliance evident in the fields. Great artistry, and considered by Joe Levine to be "one of the most attractive of the Columbian medals." Includes part of the original roundelle of issue. $325.

During the lead-up to the quadricentennial of Columbus's initial contact with the New World, numerous medals were designed and struck, both in the United States—in conjunction with the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago—and abroad, sometimes for this event or for similar others. In this case, the so-called "Danish" medal was produced commemorating the quatercentenary.

UNITED STATES. James McNeill Whistler bronze Plaque. Issued circa 1905. Commemorating the famous painter and printmaker (89mm x 65mm, 189.07 g, 12h). By V. D. Brenner for the Medallic Art Co. Half-length bust facing slightly left, with head facing and arms on hips; to left, one of his "butterfly" signatures above legend in three lines: JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER / PAINTER ETCHER / AUTHOR // Peacock standing right on branch; to right: "MESSIEURS LES ENNEMIS!" above another of his "butterfly" signatures. Edge: Plain. Smedley 62; Baxter 127; Marqusee 65. Choice Mint State. Olive-bronze surfaces, with a great matte nature; a few scattered and rather inconsequential spots are noted for completeness. Far superior to those that are generally encountered. $545.

Though Brenner would become quite famous numismatically just a few years later with his rendition for the Lincoln cent, he had some other iconic works produced before this ubiquitous design. One such medal is the present piece, which honors the rather defiant and irascible artist, James McNeil Whistler. Often known to accept no differences of opinions or critics, the sparse reverse legend ("Messieurs les Ennemis!") indicates the manner in which he viewed all those who defied him.

Great medal - posing like a peacock, standing out from the crowd. -Editor

UNITED STATES & GERMANY. Zeppelin silver Medal. Issued 1924. Commemorating the transatlantic flight of the ZR-3/LZ-127 (33mm, 17.95 g, 12h). By K. Goetz in München. ERINNERVNG • AN • Z • R • III • OZEAN FAHRT, airship left over the Santa Maria under sail left upon the seas; D in exergue // DEVTSCHE TATKRAFT / IN 80 STUNDEN, male figure (representing German industry) standing facing, head left, leaning upon hammer and pointing to airship's route on globe; American eagle above; olive branch to left; to right, owl standing facing. Edge: BAYER • HAUPTMÜNZAMT • FEINSILBER. Kienast 321; Hans Kaiser 456. PCGS SP-65. Incredibly vibrant and prooflike, with deep peripheral rings of iridescent toning. Undoubtedly one of the most attractive and eye-catching examples of the type extant. Tied with two others for the top spot in the PCGS census for the lettered edge type, with just three others at the same level (and with none finer there) for the plain edge version. $965.

Zeppelin was a German general and aircraft manufacturer, who later founded the airship company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin. Following Zeppelin's death in 1917, Dr. Hugo Eckener became the head of this company and oversaw post-war fundraising to expand upon its production, even serving as commander for the LZ-127 on numerous occasions. When this airship first entered use, it was the first commercial passenger transatlantic flight service in the world, eventually making 590 flights over nearly a decade. In 1940, she was scrapped for metal for the German efforts in World War II. This type alludes to that first monumental voyage of the LZ-127, along with the explorations of Columbus to the new world over 400 years prior.

Another great medal. I especially like the reverse. -Editor