NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: DECEMBER 21, 2025

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V28 2025 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 28, Number 51, 2025, Article 18

Numismagram's Jeremy Bostwick sent along these five medals, mainly holiday-themed, 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

103281 | GREAT BRITAIN. The Adoration of the Wise Men white metal Medal. Issued circa 1830. Medallic Illustrations of the Holy Scriptures series: the Adoration of the Wise Men (73mm, 117.91 g, 12h). By Sir Edward Thomasen in Birmingham.

THE ADORATION OF THE WISE MEN, the three magi, or wise men, left, presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the infant Christ to left, held by the Virgin Mary and surrounded by Joseph; radiant star of Bethlehem in sky above // THE GENERATIONS FROM ABRA- / HAM TO DAVID WERE 14, FROM DAVID / TO THE CARRYING AWAY INTO BABYLON 14, / AND FROM THAT TIME TO CHRIST 14, / IN THE REIGN OF HEROD KING OF JUDEA LI- / VED THE PRIEST ZACHARIAS AND HIS WIFE ELIZ- / ABETH BOTH OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI WITHOUT ISSUE, / WHILST ZACHARIAS WAS EFFICIATING THE ANGEL GA- / BRIEL INFORMD HIM THAT GOD INTENDED TO BLESS / THEM WITH A SON FORETELLING AT THE SAME-TIME / THAT HE SHOULD PREACH THE BAPTISM ON REPENTANCE / FOR THE REMISSION OE SINS.TIE ANCEL GABRIEL WAS / ALSO SENT UPON AN ERRAND TO A VIRGIN NAMED MARY / A COUSIN OF ELIZABETH IN NAZARETH SHE WAS ESPOUSED / TO JOSEPH BOTH OF THE HOUSE OE DAVID. HE SALUTES HER / BLESS'D ART THOU AMONG WOMEN FOR GOD HATH DECREED / YOU TO BE THE MOTHER OF THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. / AN ANGEL INFORMED JOSEPH THAT THAT WHICH WAS / CONCEIVED IN MARY WAS OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND / THAT SHE SHOULD BRING FORTH A SON WHOSE NAME / SHOULD BE CALLED JESUS. AT THAT TIME AUGUST / US CÆSAR ISSUED A DECREE TO TAKE AN ACCOU- / NT OF ALL THE ESTATES AND PEOPLE SUBJECT TO / THE ROMAN EMPIRE. MARY AND JOSEPH WERE / OBLIGED TO REPAIR TO BETHLEHEM TO BE / ENROLL'D, WHERE THE SACRED VIRGIN / BROUGHT FORTH HER FIRST BORN / IN A STABLE OF THE INN in 28 lines; winged head of cherub above and below. Edge: Plain.

BHM 1468.53; Eimer 1238. Choice Mint State. Highly brilliant and lustrous; excellent quality for the metal type, which is normally encountered very pestered and full of issues.

Part of a series of 60 medals that attempted to tell various important tales from the Bible in medallic form, this medal is usually encountered in white metal, with the white metal itself generally faring rather poorly.

103247 | GERMANY. Catholicism bronze Medal. Issued 1897 for the 44th General Assembly of German Catholics in Landshut (42mm, 34.77 g, 12h). By Drentwett in Augsburg.

Draped bust of Christ left within wreath of palm fronds // 44 GENERALVERSAMMLUNG / DER KATHOLIKEN DEUTSCHLANDS / LANDSHUT 1897, crowned and garnished coat-of-arms; in ten lines across and below, CARTELLVERB / KATH / STUDENTEN– / VEREINE / CÄCILIEN– / VEREIN / VOLKSVER F D / KATH DEUTSCHL - CARTELLVERB / KATH / STUDENTEN– /VERBINDUNGEN / ALLEMANNIA / & NORMANNIA / KATH / JURISTENVEREIN; in two lines in exergue, KATH LENRERVEREINE / KATH ARBEITERVEREINE. Edge: Plain.

Gem Mint State. Glossy brown surfaces, with rich, intense brilliance. Rare and highly alluring.

103432 | UNITED STATES. Victorian Couple/"Oh, Genevieve" silver Love Token (24mm, 5.46 g, 12h).

1877 Seated Liberty quarter, with engraving upon reverse: Couple (man to left, woman to right) standing facing one another, clasping hands; the man wears mustache, double-breasted frock coat, and kepi, while the woman wears a styled dress and bonnet; all upon a slightly curved panel mimicking a photograph, with shaded geometric pattern around; below, banner reading "OH GENEVIEVE." Edge: Reeded.

Cf. KM A98 (for host coin). Engraving: Extremely Fine. Host: Choice Fine. Lightly toned.

Being borrowed from the early 18th century practice in Great Britain, and being related to even earlier forms of engraving on European coinage, "love tokens" were an extremely popular form of sentimental art that saw their high point in the United States in the mid-to-late-19th century, whereby coinage was smoothed down on one or both sides, and some form of initials, a message, and/or imagery was engraved so that it may be presented to a loved one.

In the case of this piece, the intended recipient was likely "Genevieve" and, given the attire of the gentleman—especially with his Civil War-era kepi, this piece was possibly done by a soldier longing for his beau, the aforementioned Genevieve.

The most commonly encountered 'canvas' in the United States was the dime, and usually one from the Seated Liberty series. At their height, the U.S. Mint blamed an alleged shortage of dimes—a staple of most late-19th century transactions—on this craze. Rising again in the early-mid 20th century during the depths of despair that were the world wars, this form of coin art, usually referred to in this context as "trench art," would see another revival, offering soldiers a brief chance at escapism through sentimental creativity.

103310 | RUSSIA. Saints Florus and Laurus wooden Monumental Icon. Made circa 1850-1870. (61.6cm x 78.7cm [24-1/4" x 31"], 7.62 kg [16.8 lbs]).

Nimbate saints Florus, bearded and wearing blue jeweled tunic with off-white undergarment and red cape, and Laurus, clean-shaven and wearing jeweled pink undergarment and green cloak, standing facing one another, each holding patriarchal cross; foggy mountainscape in lower background, with the Veil of Veronica (facing nimbate head of Jesus Christ upon a white veil) at the top; the saints are largely set against an orange backdrop with a thin red border, wider mango border, and thinner off-white border; in red and above Florus reads (in stylized Orthodox Cyrillic) CT F??P? M???? (St. Florus the martyr), and above Laurus reads CT ?AVP? M???? (St. Laurus the martyr), and in purple above Christ reads I?C XC (Jesus Christ)—all of which is painted in tempera atop two wooden panels (doski) that have been joined from the back (hence a central crease and light bowing as would be typical), with a good deal of golden shimmering throughout, and especially among the orange central backdrop. Back and sides: Wood exposed, with some scattered scuffs and marks; two slates (shponki) near the top and bottom for resistance; wire hinge affixed to the top shponka for use in suspension on a wall.

Extremely Fine. Some minor fraying of wood at the edge is noted, along some subsequent chipping of the tempera near those areas; a more noticeable chip of both wood and tempera can be seen at the upper right corner; some light rub near the central crease where the two panels (doski) were joined is seen, with some minor scuffs to the tempera throughout; overall, however, the condition, especially given its monumental and weighty size, is quite pleasing and the coloring in general is rather bold. Very minor warping of the two panels (doski) is observed, and as can often be the case, though with the shponki providing their support.

Please refer to the in-hand video in order to get a more accurate sense of the size of this icon, which is quite massive and also rather heavy. A rather impressive and imposing piece for one's wall.

Following the conversion of the peoples of the Ancient Rus' (those in the eastern and northern portions of Europe) to Orthodox Christianity in the late 10th century, queues were taken from Byzantine art and iconography. As time progressed, and given the lack of more personal representations of religion, the practice in the emerging tsardom of Russia began to emulate the artistic traditions in western Europe within the Protestant and Catholic spheres. Thus, the Russian icon was born—a representation of one's religion and hopes, all in the form of a small-scale, craft-oriented image, usually done on wood and with the ability to venerate in one's house. The imagery would usually focus upon Christ or the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary), but could vary widely to other lesser-encountered saints and passages, even to those more native to the Orthodox church in the Russian dominion. The various images would generally be painted in tempera, a type of paint mixed with egg, and featured a gilt-infused background in order to elevate the flair and magnificence.

Saints Florus and Laurus were twin brothers and Christian martyrs from the 2nd century CE, having worked as stonemasons and cured the son of a local pagan priest in Illyricum. After having a nearby pagan temple converted to Christianity, they found themselves at odds with local authorities, who put many of the Christians there, including Florus and Laurus, to death. Later, when their alleged incorruptible relics were translated to Constantinople for veneration, it is said that a severe plague among horses ceased, so making the twin brothers the patron saints of horses, with their feast day being 18 August.

103269 | UNITED STATES, ITALY & GERMANY. Christopher Columbus/"The Journey" aluminum Medal. Issued 1892 for the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America and the Italian-American Exposition in Genova (50mm, 13.10 g, 12h). By Mayer & Wilhelm in Stuttgart.

CHRISTOFORO COLOMBO / NATO 1456 MORTO 1506, half-length bust of Columbus facing slightly left, holding charts; all within wreath // RICORDO DELL' ESPOSIZIONE ITALO–AMERICANA, GENOVA / 1892, two female allegories (Italia and America) to right, one seated and one standing, pointing at a distance to left over the expo ground; Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria on horizon to left with rising sun; above, crowned Genoese coat-of-arms with two griffins as supporters; in two lines in exergue, 1492–1892 / IV. CENTENNIAL. Edge: Plain.

Eglit 273; Starlust ST-eg-273; cf. Rulau B5 (for a larger module issue by Mayer & Wilhelm for the Italian-American Expo) & B6 (for the similar corresponding issue for the Columbian Expo); cf. Bernd Kaiser V, 127 (bronze). PCGS SP-65. Blast white surfaces, with intense mirroring in the fields.

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 Journey" medal was produced commemorating the quatercentenary in Germany by the Stuttgart-based manufacturer, Mayer & Wilhelm, with the obverse depiction of Columbus sometimes being referred to as "elf-like," and with this overall design for the 1892 Italian-American Exposition in Genoa serving as the prototype for the following year's English version for the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Of note, while this type is listed in the references as "white metal," which can be a bit of a catch-all for certain "white" metals, this example is undoubtedly aluminum, as its extremely low weight (13.10 g) in comparison to diameter (50mm) conveys.