NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: NOVEMBER 9, 2025

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V28 2025 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 28, Number 45, 2025, Article 12

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. -Garrett

103267 | UNITED STATES. Philadelphia. Cathedral of St. Peter & St. Paul silvered white metal Medal. Issued 1864 (80mm, 223.19 g, 12h). By Anthony 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: A few light marks as noted, otherwise plain.

Eidlitz 1129. About Uncirculated details. Deeply toned, with some minor scuffs and bruises scattered about that do not overly interfere. Nevertheless, a very rare and extremely popular type that, when encountered, almost always exhibits an issue or two. Compare to the Q. David Bowers example, graded Choice About Uncirculated, though clearly with similar rim and surface issues, that realized a total of $1,680 in the Stack's Bowers Spring 2022 Auction (lot 1119).

An obvious analog to the architectural medals of the Wieners from Belgium and Bianchi in Italy, this piece by U.S. mint engraver Anthony C. Paquet stands out on account of its size and majesty, as well as its ability, similar to the other 3-D architectural types, to draw in the gaze and astonishment of the viewer. The New York Times even referred to it as "...the handsomest ever issued in the United States and the most artistic and elaborate design ever cut by this celebrated engraver."

103386 | GERMANY. König Wilhelms Railway Bridge bronze Medal. Issued 1870 for the completion of the bridge across the Rhine between Hamm and Neuss (71mm, 12h). By Leopold Wiener.

+ WILHELM KOENIG VON PREUSSEN + AUGUSTA KOENIGEN V PREUSSEN, jugate bare heads right of Wilhelm and Augusta // KOENIG WILHELMS / RHEIN–EISENBAHNBRUCKE / ERBAUT IN DEN JAHREN / 1868 BIS 1870, nude river god of the Rhine reclining right, resting elbow upon overturned urn from which liquid flows and resting hand upon civic coats-of-arms of Hamm and Neuss; in background, perspective view of the bridge.

Ross M292; Döry/Kubinszky 145; Henckel 4933; Schulten 9; Brettauer 337. PCGS SP-64. Extremely vibrant and glossy, with rich brown surfaces and a wondrous overall appearance that would seemingly make this somewhat conservatively assessed. As such, a premium quality example, and likely one of the finest of the type that one will encounter. The only representative of the type in the PCGS census.

The initial bridge for Düsseldorf over the Rhine, the König Wilhelms Railway Bridge was begun in 1868 and completed just two years later—an event commemorated on this medal. Over the years, the bridge has been extended, renovated, and completely rebuilt, with the current incarnation aesthetically similar to its predecessor, and with the original watchtowers (which can be seen at the far left side on the reverse of this medal) still standing right next to the current bridge.

103270 | UNITED STATES & ITALY. Electrification of Niagara Falls bronze Medal. Issued 1904 for the American excursion of the members of the A. E. I. from August to September (59mm, 88.21 g, 12h). By Egidio Boninsegna & Angelo Cappucio for Stefano Johnson in Milano.

Seminude female allegory of Electricity standing slightly right, holding up electrified torch which powers electrical poles at a distance; Niagara Falls in background, with small boat upon Niagara River below // Two medallions containing portraits of Alessandro Volta and Benjamin Franklin facing one another; below, decorative cartouche reading "A J. W. LIEB Jr. / IN MEMORIA DELL' A. E. I. / AGOSTO–SETTEMBRE MCMIV" in four line; laurel branch in background. Edge: Plain.

150° Johnson 1461; Wolfsonion Coll. #83.1.154; lamoneta.it W-MEITB/58-1. Choice Mint State. Charming olive-brown surfaces, with a matte aspect throughout. An extremely rare issue, especially for those collecting exonumia relating to Franklin and depictions of the Falls.

This medal features two pioneers in the field of electricity, with Benjamin Franklin famously conducting an experiment in 1752 that, with the assistance of a kite and a key, proved that storm clouds were electrically charged and that lightning was merely a form of electricity, and with Alessandro Volta creating the first electric battery, which he called the "voltaic pile," in 1800. Nearly a century later, the idea electrifying Niagara Falls, given its vast hydroelectric capacity, was considered, with inventing giant Nikola Tesla consulted on the best manner in which this could be done. By 1904, the final phases of the plan were complete, with the Canadian side able to generate and send electricity across longer distances, and pairing with the American side from nine years prior. This very rare medal was issued the year of the Canadian side's completion, featuring a great Beaux Arts rendition of Electricity as well as the Falls themselves.

103387 | GREAT BRITAIN. Pair (2) of Sir Francis Chichester silver Medals. Issued 1967. Commemorating the first person to sail around the world single-handedly. By Paul Vincze for Spink.

SIR FRANCIS CHICHESTER, capped bust left / GIPSY MOTH IV 1966-67 GOLDEN HIND 1577-80, Neptune on bent knee left, raising up laurel wreath and holding trident; behind, projection of the globe surmounted by the Gipsy Moth IV (Chichester's ketch) and the Golden Hind (Sir Francis Drake's galleon).

An extremely lustrous and vibrant pair, each of which offer a great gilt nature to the toning and wondrous iridescence. Includes original box of issue.

A businessman and aviator as well as a solo sailor, Sir Francis Chichester became famous first for his adventurous aviation, landing his de Havilland Gipsy Moth aircraft on remote lands like Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands in the South Pacific (being the first person to do so). Later in life, he turned to solo sailing, navigating his ketch Gipsy Moth IV from Plymouth all the way around the world, returning 226 days later in May 1967. Just a few weeks later in July, Chichester was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, with the monarch using the sword her namesake, Elizabeth I, used for the knighting of Sir Francis Drake upon his circumnavigation of the world in 1581.

103293 | FRANCE. Domitian copper Medal. Issued 1968 (68mm, 223.50 g, 3h). Imitating a sestertius from circa 95/6 CE.

IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XVII CENS PER P P, laureate and draped bust right // Two-doored triumphal arch surmounted by two elephant-driven quadrigae; S - C across field. Edge: «cornucopia» CUIVRE 1968 No. 180/500.

Gem Mint State. Deep brown surfaces, with some hints of green around the devices.

Part of a series of ancient coins struck in much larger, medallic form by the Paris mint in the mid 1960s to early 1970s, these examples serve as direct analogs to renaissance issues like Paduans and Cavinos, which themselves were fairly faithful imitations of ancient coinage. Here, the coin celebrated is a rare sestertius (RIC 796) dating to Domitian's 17th consulship (95/6 CE), which led up to his assassination. The reverse depicts a rather fantastic arch that is still not fully known, though it may well be the same as that mentioned in an epigram of the Latin poet Martial (Ep. 8.65).