1108. AUSTRALIA. Victoria. Queen of Great Britain, 1837-1901. AV Medal (39mm, 51.27 g, 12h). Melbourne International Exhibition. By H. Stokes. Dated 1880 (in Roman numerals). Presented to B. Samuel & Sons, London, for harmoniums. Large ȶeǹBɭuˆɀe Ʃɀ˻eˆɀ«˻Ʃɭɀ«ǹ eҢƌƩBƩ˻Ʃɭɀ ȶĕæææǹҢҢҢ , veiled head left, wearing stephane; pellet below / “VITAM/EXCOLVERE/PER ARTES” (Life have they cultivated through the arts) in three lines; all within laurel wreath; H. STOKES in exergue. Edge: B. SAMUEL & SONS, LONDON _ HARMONIUMS. See http://museumvictoria.com. au/collections/items/82559/medal-melbourne-international-exhibition-gold-victoria-australia-1880 (for another example, presented to William Bliss & Son for Woollen Goods). EF, hairlines, lustrous. ($1000) Ex New York Sale XXIII (6 January 2010), lot 538.
1109. AUSTRIA, Holy Roman Empire. temp. Rudolf II to Ferdinand III. 1576-1657. Cast AV Medal (52mm, 19.62 g, 12h). So-called “Judenmedaille” type. Praha (Prague) mint. Dated 1231 (in Roman numerals), but struck early 17th century. ĿLƩS£BĿ˶£ / ōƩLƩ£ / £ɀĕˆ / rĿŷ / чɀŷ£ˆ / ɭBƩ˶ / ȶ£rB / £ɀ ȶææҢҢҢƩ ) , crowned and veiled bust of St. Elizabeth of Hungary facing slightly left within tressure of seventeen arches; each arch ending in triple pellets; annultes in spandrels / ส ĕƩSPĿrSƩ˶ / ĕĿĕƩ˶ / P£чP Ḧ ƩчS˶ Ḧ ĿƩчS / ȶ£ɀĿ˶ / Ʃɀ / SĿæчL Ḧ SĿæчLƩ , view of the Elizabethkirche in Marburg within tressure of seventeen arches; each arch ending in triple pellets; annulets in spandrels. Cf. Hoffmeister 4; cf. Bernhart 21; cf. Klein B 21; cf. Prince Alexander 3; cf. Nomos 5, lot 52 (all refs. for example in silver). VF, toned, fields chased, a number of marks, traces of prior mounting. ($2000) Ex Abe Kosoff Collection (Bowers & Merena, 5 November 1985), lot 5018. The large series of pseudo-medieval medals, long known as ‘Judenmedaille’ from their supposed manufacture by Jewish minters in Prague, were actually part of a very carefully thought out series designed to glorify the ancestors of the House of Hapsburg. They appear in different metals, primarily in silver with gold ones being particularly rare. This one bears a portrait of St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) who had been the wife of Ludwig IV of Thuringia; on the reverse is the great church of St. Elizabeth in Marburg, which began to be built in 1235 when Elizabeth was canonized. It was consecrated in 1283 but the towers were only finished in 1340. It is one of the earliest Gothic churches in Germany and was a model both for the cathedral of Cologne and for St. Paul’s Church in Strasbourg.
1110. BULGARIA, Tsardom. temp. Ferdinand I. As Tsar, 1908-1918. AV Medal (28mm, 5.83 g, 12h). Majority of Grand Duke Boris, 1912. Dually dated 1894 and 191. Bust of Grand Duke Boris left / 1894-1912 across field; 20 above; I below. KM –; Friedberg –. Superb EF, toned. ($750) Ex Ponterio 93 (14 March 1998), lot 732.
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