NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: SEPTEMBER 6, 2026

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 36, 2026, Article 16

Numismagram's Jeremy Bostwick sent along these four 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

103700 | FRANCE & EGYPT. Napoléon Bonaparte/Conquest of Egypt bronze Medal. Dated 1798 (but issued 1808) for his role as General of the Army of the Orient (40mm, 29.86 g, 12h). By Julien-Marie Jouannin, Nicolas-Guy-Antoine Brenet & Dominique-Vivant Denon at the Paris mint.

Bust facing slightly left, with crown of lotus flowers above in a halo-like fashion // Napoléon, dressed as a Roman emperor, driving biga left pulled by two dromedaries; to left, the column of Pompey and the obelisk of Cleopatra; above, Victory flying right; in two lines in exergue, L'EGYPTE CONQUISE / MDCCXCVIII. Edge: Plain, though an old collector's number 96/34 is noted in black ink.

Hennin 879; Ionnikoff 4; Julius 661-2; d'Essling 766; Zeitz 10; Alexander 16; Fonrobert 5078; Ruedas, Moyen Orient, 11. Choice Mint State. Glossy chocolate brown surfaces, with alluring brilliance among the fields. A rarer type that serves as one of the initial medals (though attributed to 1808 by Alexander) in what would be a rather expansive series propagandizing the exploits of Napoléon. Here, he is rather uncharacteristically presented in a nearly-facing manner, rather than the typical right-facing profile head that graces most of the medals in the series. Compare to a similar example, graded PCGS SP-64—though seemingly slightly inferior to the present piece, which realized a total of $561.20 in Heritage 61614 (28 April 2026), lot 21037.

An intriguing type that features a unique portrait style within the series of Napoleonic medals, the medal features a date (1798) that foreshadows Egypt's conquest, as upper Egypt would not be fully conquered until the following year. While references such as Hennin and Ionnikoff cite the listed year as the year of its manufacture, a later date, such as the 1808 date proposed by Alexander, must be the case, as Denon himself was with Napoléon during the Egypt campaign, and was only appointed director of the Louvre upon the campaign's conclusion. This medal would serve as the first, at least with respect to listed date, which would bear the DENON D (Denon, director) stamp that would grace many others within the series. Alexander also notes that most known examples all feature the same die rust pattern filling a portion of space between the top of Napoléon's head and the central area of the "floating" lotus wreath above—an aspect that can be seen on this piece.

103649 | AUSTRIA. Sigmund Freud bronze Medal. Issued 1906 for the 50th birthday of the founder of psychoanalysis (59mm, 99.75 g, 12h). By Carl Maria Schwerdtner, Jr. at the Vienna mint.

SIEGMVND FREVD WIEN MCMVI, bust right // The Riddle of the Sphinx: nude Oedipus standing left, resting head in hand and holding walking stick; to left, forepart of Sphinx right; to right, ‘OS TA KLEINP' / AINII MAT ‘HI?EI / KAI KPATISTOS ‘HN ANHP (what goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?). Edge: Plain.

Wurzbach 2797; Storer 1127; Optica et Visio in Nummis IV.261 var. (silver). Choice Mint State. Olive-brown surfaces, with some pleasing brilliance in the fields. Compare to a similar example that realized a total of $450 (after the buyer's fee) in Classical Numismatic Group E-535, lot 748.

The father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud was born in Freiberg in 1856, then a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During his extensive and exceptionally influential career, he developed therapeutic techniques, discovered the idea of transference, and established his well-known model of the id, ego, and super-ego. Likely equally well-known is his redefinition of sexuality, including the infantile form, which led to his concept of the Oedipus complex. Appropriately, that served as the inspiration for the reverse of this medal.

103475 | GERMANY. Halley's Comet silver Medal. Issued 1910. Commemorating the famous periodic comet (44mm, 12h). By Karl Goetz at the München mint.

JEDE WOLKE–SO SCHWARZ SIE DROHT–DEM HIMMEL ZUGEWANDT= / DOCH IHRE LICHTE SONNENSEITE HAT (each cloud as black as it may threaten, has its light side which is turned towards the sun) / KOMET HALLEY, facing personification of the sun, with smaller sun faces surrounding; below, the comet traveling toward the sun // The constellations Orion and Canis Major pursuing that of Lepus to right; above, the constellations Serpens and Cetus, through which the comet passes; the twelve signs of the zodiac around. Edge: BAYER. HAUPTMÜNZAMT FEINSILBER.

Kienast 71. PCGS UNC Details—Bent. Pleasingly toned, with a charming matte aspect to the surfaces. Regarding the "bent" designation assessed by PCGS, we'll just agree to disagree, as it's been observed raw in-hand, and this circle cannot be squared. As such, we are treating this Choice Uncirculated. Compare to a similar matte specimen, though with the edge type not noted: an NGC MS-65 that realized a total of $5,520 [!] in Heritage 61497 (29 April 2025), lot 25076. A fairly rare and interesting non-satirical type from the hand of Goetz, far more difficult to encounter than the bronze version. The only such example in with the lettered edge in the PCGS census.

Known to ancient astronomers since at least 240 B.C.E., the comet that would come to be known as Halley's was first accurately predicted in 1705 by Edmond Halley, after whom it would be named. Considered a short-period comet as it reappears to us every 75–76 years, it is the only such comet of that kind that is viewable to the naked eye. Further, this relatively short periodicity means that it is the only comet viewable to the naked eye that could reasonably be observed twice in one's lifetime. The comet has a special connection with American author Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), who joked that "...I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year [1910], and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.'" Indeed, he was born two weeks after the comet's perihelion in 1835, and died the day after the comet's next perihelion in 1910. The comet's most recent visit allowed for a great deal of scientific research to be conducted, such as its size (15x8km) as well as its composition, which is a mix of some ice and largely other dusty, non-volatile materials. Its next path near Earth will occur in mid-2061 to 2062.

103710 | GERMANY. Reichskanzler Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg silver Medal. Issued 1914 on the topic of the wartime chancellor and politician (34mm, 12h). By Friedrich Eue for the Otto Oertel mint in Berlin.

v. BETHMANN–HOLLWEG, capped and uniformed bust facing slightly left // Soldier, wearing pickelhaube, advancing left, about to swing rifle; in five lines across field, WER, WIE – WIR, UM DAS / HÖCHSTE – KÄMPFT, / DARF NUR – DARAN / DENKEN – WIE ER SICH / DURCH- – -HAUT. Zetzmann 2052 (R). NGC MS-64. Most attractively toned, with exceptional iridescence and wondrous brilliance spread across both sides. The only example of the type in the NGC census.

After ascending rather adeptly within the German government in the last decade-and-a-half of the 19th century, Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg would later serve as imperial chancellor from 1909 to 1917. His independence and more conciliatory nature were attributes that Wilhelm II saw in him when giving him the position. At the outset of World War I and into its early years, Bethmann Hollweg enjoyed broad support. However, the later stages of the war caused friction between he and other prominent figures, such as Generals Ludendorff and von Hindenburg, with Bethmann Hollweg ultimately resigning from his role in July 1917.