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California Missions


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What I find interesting is that my album has the same filled slots and empty slots as Robert's. He has managed to find two additional medals to fill empty slots. I found an auction reference to another album that had the same filled and empty slots as our two albums. There must be a story here about the series.

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I'm guessing the signature is that of Cataldo Papaleo, a southern California sculpture associated with El Monte's Classic Bronze Corporation. He was active in that time period.

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Having recently purchased a beautifully-toned set of 13 silver mission series medals in their original album, the empty holes appear to match the bronze sets. All the silver medals I have have serial numbers < 1000. The missing medals from both sets include:

 

 

San Diego

San Carlos

San Francisco

Santa Clara

Santa Cruz

San Juan Bautista

Santa Ines

San Francisco de Solano

 

If anyone owns any of these and would be willing to post a picture, i'd appreciate it. I am still wondering if these were ever made, but without access to the Medallic Art Co. archives, i'm not sure i'll ever know.

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We will have to plan a trip to Dayton and go through the archives. They should have it established now in a location that can be easily visited by the public.

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  • 1 month later...

I just acquired 12 of these silver medals but then I don't have the book! Any idea where to get a book from?

I'm just using airtights for now! they are cleaned though so they're pretty shiny and don't show any of the rainbow toning those are showing!

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You will have to find an album in the after market and these were made some 40 years ago. Its a metter of keeping your eyes open and jumping at the opportunity when it arises. Good luck.

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  • 6 months later...

Hi All,

The silver bar set from th El Dorado Mint dies were hand engraved by my father, Joseph Madas. I had a complete set, but it was stolen many years ago. Looking for another set.

 

He also did most of the bars struck by US Silver in Van Nuys, dozens of them in the early 70s.

 

Welcome to CoinPeople. It's nice to hear about your Dad and his work. Sorry about the theft that you suffered. It's all to common a story, I'm afraid.

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  • 6 months later...

So glad to see your post about these California Missions coin sets. My Mother bought 17 sets in burgundy faux leather booklets booklets during 60s. The coins coins were "sealed" in windows at top and descriptions and histories pasted guidebooks. Can view both sides of the coins. I have more of these sets in storage but right now I have the FATHER JUNIPERO SERRA, SAN FERNANDO REY DR ESPANA, SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, SAN GABRIEL ARCANGEL, SAN LUIS REY DR FRANCIA, and SAN JOSE DE GUADALUPE. I remember there being 17 sets...hope I can find the rest soon. I have no idea what these are worth...they have never been out of the books..touched, etc. Unfortunately the seals were ineffectual and there is some oxidation. When I figure out how to get photos of them I will post..<<snip>> etc.

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  • 4 months later...

I obtained this San Fernando Centennial Medallion by Medallic Art Co -- Silver piece (0.999 fine silver), edge #224. It seems to have a similar design to the mission medal series, but I haven't ever seen it before until now. It was issued in 1974 to commemorate 100 years in "The Mission City in San Fernando, CA -- 1874-1974." This medal was designed by Maria Altobelli. Given the theme, it fits perfectly into the mission medal series in my opinion.

 

SanFernando1_zpsb41cf24f.jpg

 

SanFernando2_zpsd8a9667c.jpg

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I obtained this San Fernando Centennial Medallion by Medallic Art Co -- Silver piece (0.999 fine silver), edge #224. It seems to have a similar design to the mission medal series, but I haven't ever seen it before until now. It was issued in 1974 to commemorate 100 years in "The Mission City in San Fernando, CA -- 1874-1974." This medal was designed by Maria Altobelli. Given the theme, it fits perfectly into the mission medal series in my opinion.

 

SanFernando1_zpsb41cf24f.jpg

 

SanFernando2_zpsd8a9667c.jpg

 

Great looking medal and a wonderful add-on for the Mission Series.

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RobertJ and I visited Medallic Art and we learned the Mission medal set was issued for Granda Enterprises in 1961. The issuing company was actually Altobelli Jewelers in Los Angeles (Granda Enterprises being their business name for the medal series). The following pieces were issued before the series ended. Perhaps sales were not what was expected. Two people designed the medals (their names are listed after their medals).

 

Father Serra (this is not the US Mint medal struck in 1964). ---(Cataldo Papaleo)
San Antonio de Padua ---(Cataldo Papaleo)
San Gabriel ---(Maria Altobelli)
San Luis Obispo ---(Maria Altobelli)
San Juan Capistrano ---(Maria Altobelli)
San Buenaventura ---(Cataldo Papaleo)
Santa Barbara ---(Maria Altobelli)
San Jose ---(Maria Altobelli)
San Miguel ---(Maria Altobelli)
San Fernando ---(Cataldo Papaleo)
San Luis Rey ---(Maria Altobelli)
San Raphael ---(Maria Altobelli)
La Purisima ---(Maria Altobelli)
Soledad ---(Maria Altobelli)

 

All of our pieces are brilliant proofs. I have never seen anything but that on the market. The Medallic Art archive collection has only one piece from the series, the Soledad medal. It is struck in bronze and antiqued, much different than the medals as issued in the series. RobertJ's discovery of the 1974 medal pictured above suggests that Altobelli Jewelers may have continued to issue medals from time-to-time, or Maria had her own business as a sculpture. Clearly there is more to this story to be learned. Unfortunately, Medallic Art records do not tell us mintage figures.

 

As a side note, the archivist at Medallic Art reports that she receives more inquires about this series than any other medal.

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

And now I have seen a photocopy of the sales brochure for these medals stating they were struck in July 1969 with 1,000 struck in silver and 2,500 struck in bronze. Given what is documented here about medals that exist and have not been confirmed, I suspect they were not struck in July 1969. I suspect that was the sales brochure date and the series was never completed. It may well be that the full sales brochure indicates it was one of the sales programs where medals were offered on a subscription basis and the album was available to subscribers. Since the Medallic Art archives have the 1961 date and the sales brouchre has a 1969 date, it would seem to indicate that this was a planned multi-year series and that interest slowly faded out.

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Since the Medallic Art archives have the 1961 date and the sales brouchre has a 1969 date, it would seem to indicate that this was a planned multi-year series and that interest slowly faded out.

 

Ha. Good sleuthing. Thing that's the case?

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  • 10 months later...

Hi Bob here. New to this post. I have 3 sets( 14 each ) one in silver and 2 in bronze of the California Mission Medals. With the medals is an ad. for medals 10, 11, and 12 in the series. The ad is by North Hollywood Stamp and Coin. There is also a mailing envelope with the return: California Mission Medals, Inc. 11738 Victory Boulevard N. Hollywood Calif. dated July 16, 1969. There is also a letter dated Nov. 7, 1974 paying for 3 examples of issue # 14 The LaPurisima Mission medal. My medals are housed in 4 notebook window pages with 3 openings for each medal : one silver and two bronze  to show obv. and rev.. I hope this helps

Bob

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  • 7 months later...

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