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Swedish 50th Anniversary of the Opening of the Göta Canal silver medal by Lea Ahlborn, 1882(dated 1829 in Roman numerals for von Platen's death) 31mm Obv: Bust left of von Platen, LEA AHLBORN below bust. B. B. VON PLATEN COMES. Rev: Von Platen standing with a map showing the Göta canal. PANDO VIAS MARIUM ET POPULORUM FOEDERA FIRMO. Exe: MEMORI EREPTUS PATRIÆ MDCCCXXIX Count Baltzar Bogislaus von Platen (1766–1829) was a Swedish naval officer and statesman. Following the revolution in 1809 he became a member of Government and, in the following year, received a promotion to Rear Admiral. He was also made chairman of the Göta Canal Directorate charged with constructing a canal across Sweden linking the Baltic to the Atlantic, he himself had been extolling the virtues of the project since 1806. The canal, designed by Thomas Telford, who assisted in its construction, would only be completed in 1832, after von Platen's death in 1829. The coming of the railway in 1855 dealt a servere blow to the canal from which it never really recovered but now it is a great recreational & tourist attraction. Lea Ahlborn(18 February 1826 – 13 November 1897) a famous female Swedish artist & medalist. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, and the first woman to be appointed royal printmaker. The position of royal printmaker was a public office making her the first female official in Sweden.

Very, very nice. Though I am not too sure about the bare bear behind!

What a great buy. I would go with the 3rd 1893 Maundy 3 pence, with #2 a close second.

Very nice.

Nice to see the Fox back.

Hi Ricardo congratulations on your wonderful site

This is the latest find & the one with copy/reducing lines is shown below it. As you can see there has been more engraving done to the obverse die, especially in the hair & also on the neck, around the eye & jowl area. The reverse has had more work to the die as well, the foliage has more detail as does the urn but perhaps the most striking is the inscription on the tomb which appears to have been restruck deeper all except the "6" in "JUNE 26" strange. This new acqusition has been heavily guilded and is probably the finest example of any of this type & era brass token/medal that I have seen. The copy/reducing lines have also disappeared.

French Renaissance Medal; *PAVL . DE PELISSON . CON . DV . ROY . MeDES . REQ . ORD . DE . SON . HOST(Conseiller du Roy. Maîtres des requêtes ordinaires de l'hôtel du Roi) 1677 below bust right. Unifaced cast bronze with rim, 48/60mm. EDIT I suspect this might be the work of Cheron. It is possible that the date on the medal of 1677 is related to Pellisson being made head of the "Caisse des Conversions" a fund established by the French King Louis XIV to bribe Huguenots to convert to catholicism. PAUL PELLISSON(or PELISSON)-FONTANIER, was born at Beziers in 1624, and after studying with success the Latin, Greek, French, Spanish, and Italian languages, he applied himself to law at Castres, and subsequently to general literature at Paris. Pellisson undertook to be the historian of the French Academy, and in 1653 published "Relation contenant l'histoire de l’Académie francaise", he was rewarded with a promise of the next vacant place and permission to be present at their meetings. In 1652 he had purchased the post of secretary to the king; and five years afterwards became first deputy to M. Fouquet. He suffered by the disgrace of that minister; and in 1661 was confined in the Bastille, whence he was not discharged till four years afterwards. During his confinement he applied himself to the study of religious controversy and also wrote 2 defences of Fouquet; After his release, the King appointed him his royal historian, and in 1670 he abjured the Protestant religion. Louis XIV. bestowed upon him an annual pension of two thousand crowns, besides granting him numerous marks of royal favour. Having taken orders, he, in 1676, received the abbey of Gimont and some years afterwards the priory of St Orens in Auch. He put all his zeal to bring about conversions among his former co-religionists and helped create for this purpose the "cash conversion" a fund to convert Protestants/ Huguenots by the granting of pensions, honors or patents. He died in 1693 and never received the last rites, Protestants claim that he had only accepted Catholicism under duress and purposely avoided the last rites, Catholics, that it was just an unfortunate occurence due to his sudden demise. Though the medallist is unknown, I think that this other unifaced medal(unfortunately not mine) is by the same engraver based on the style of both letters & date & of course the portrait, shame the engraver of this one is also unknown!.

So pleased that you were able to find out the story behind the medal & a big thanks for informing us about it.

A Lion Hunt plaque by Gaetan Faraoni, editeur Léopold Oudry; Bronze repoussé, lead filled, 128mm, 1869. A naked horseman with a spear, an axeman on foot, a prostrate wounded lion in a desert scene(not sure if that is a pyramid extreme left) signed L. OUDRY pre EDITEUR. G. Faraoni. 69 Repoussé is working on the reverse of metal to form a raised design on the front, chasing is working to refine the design on the front of the work by sinking the metal. "ARTISANS' REPORTS ON THE PARIS UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION 1867. Here are also several specimens of excellent repousse, in copper, in different stages of progress; among them, a beautiful work, by an artisan, Gaetan Faraoni, who obtained for it the prize " Crozatier," given for the best work in a competition of Paris workmen" he also won the "Laureats Du Concours Crozatier" in 1863 & 1866 another award from the 1863 L'Exposition Des Beaux-Arts Appliques A L'Industrie, medal Ist class for sculpture. Faraoni was born in Cremona Italy early in the 19th century but moved to Paris where he became a scupltor, engraver & repousser. He produced work for the "House of Victor Paillard" & for Léopold Oudry. Léopold Oudry owned a foundry in Paris & hired artists to produce various works of repoussé, which, by electrotyping, he would replicate. This repoussé by Faraoni is one of his electrotype copies. He also patented an electrotyping process in France & England in 1855 for the metal plating of wood. I have seen a jewelery/trinket box, produced by Oudry, which used this as a lid.

I meant to say, feel free to use the pictured extracts on the other forum.

Breaking news; Extracts from http://books.google....20medal&f=false published 1824, which places the token as 18th century, or earlier, though I doubt that. Found this interesting piece http://www.time-line.co.uk/antiquities/medieval-john-the-baptist-and-agnus-dei-pilgrims-mount-021452

I read that even with just one communion table, to avoid congestion, the congregation might be called by numbers, just like now when we board a plane "rows 1 to 15" etc. A fascinating piece whatever it is. Good luck with your research Bob.

Looking at the examples(I checked the other forum) they are all fairly worn which suggests either they were circulated as coins after their original purpose was fufilled but I think more likely they were used repeatedly as identification. In a large church with many communion tables the faithful would be directed to the appropriate table by their number so as to divide the congregation into equal numbers for each table.

On second thoughts, I opt for John & the paschal lamb representing Jesus

"1" was often engraved using a "J" so I think you are okay with 172 & the picture museum one has 292, so individually 18th century numbered pass, méreau or communion token perhaps. Note the J in J773 Great find, suprising given the assumed number made, up to at least 292, or 1777? on the unpictured one(that might be a mistake & be 177) that so little info is to be found. Huguenots in France used méreaux http://www.hugenoot.org.za/mer-e.htm they were used for identification & for the allocation of relief, bread, soup or a meal etc. I would go with Christ, not John.

Obv. OSCAR SVERIGES O.NORGES ARFFURSTE HERT. AF OSTERG. * Rev. INDUSTRI UTSTALLNINGEN I STOCKHOLM Exe. SVERIGE NORGE DANMARK OCH FINLAND I FREDLIG TAFLAW 1866. by Lea Ahlborn tin 44mm. The Stockholm Exhibition of 1866 was inaugurated on 15 June by Crown Prince Oscar, King Charles XV being indisposed due to illness. Sweden, Norway, Denmark & Finland combined to present Scandinavia's first exhibition of industry and art in Stockholm in 1866. The exhibition building was in Kungstradgarden park. The Exhibition building in the park was built in wood, the central hall had an octagonal glazed roof. The architect for the building was Adolf W. Edelsvärd. The, then newly opened, National Museum of Blasieholmen in Stockholm(designed by German architect Friedrich August Stüler) was also used for some of the exhibits.

Very happy to be able to post that Fred's medal will soon be with his descendants in England. A few weeks ago Lori Oschefski http://canadianbriti...-oschefski.html contacted me to inquire if the medal was still in my possesion & if it was available for sale. I was delighted to let her purchase it for what it cost me as she does such great work regarding Canada's "Home Children" & their families. She said she would use it for display/presentations but if she could trace Fred or his descendants she would let them have it. Well, now it will it wil be with the family, thanks Lori I have a personal interest in "Home Children" as my father was one, he returned to England, married & raised four children. I am the youngest & by a strange twist of fate emigrated to Canada & for the last few years of his life was able to bring him to Canada for visits. We even took him to the farm that he stayed at while he was here.

It is the cross, or medal, of Saint Benedict, check this link http://www.osb.org/gen/medal.html

This link http://www.omaha.lib...bout/about.html has full details about the expo, including a list of exhibitors that won award medals(which yours is) & one listing is "Chicago Edison Co. G.M. General Display Electric appliances" (G.M.= Gold Medal) the gold medals were gilt bronze not solid gold. http://coins.ha.com/...&lotIdNo=125004 is for a Long Beach auction in 2008 & you can check what one offered there made. I checked the lot#28273 "Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition Award Medal.Gilt bronze. A sizable award medal. Obverse: Allegorical Columbia in industrial landscape, OMAHA above, U.S.A. below, TRANS-MISSISSIPPI AND INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION / 1898 around. Reverse: honor wreath with S.D. CHILDS & CO. ENGRAVERS, CHICAGO below, engraved within "Gold Medal / FOR / PERFECTION ELEVATOR / PURIFYING PUMPS / Awarded to / ST JOSEPH / PUMP / & MFG Co." (#661060)" and it went for $373.75. There were a lot of medals awarded as prizes at the expo, so they are not particularly rare, but of course each one that was engraved is unique, they are found unengraved as well http://www.ebay.com/...=item5d35105fa9 & http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1898-Trans-Mississippi-International-Exposition-Bronze-Medal-Coin-/350587520141?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51a0a5048d

Looks like Solomon's seal on the "obverse" & the Chi Ro "reverse", though there is an extra cross to it. Quite an unusual item, can you make out the letters around the "obverse"?

Thanks guys for the congratulations, as to "first to pull it off?", I know I am the first to post all three together online In fact I could not find pictures of any of them using Google image search.

This one completes the set of three Frederick Wilhelm III by Kettle,this one & the next are certainly by Thomas Kettle in 1814 but there is some doubt for the last one, which I still think was the work of Henry Kettle in 1796. What is not in doubt is that the person portrayed on all these medals is Frederick Wilhelm II(who died in 1797) not his son, Frederick Wilhelm III. Fauver(Exonumia Symbolism etc) lists this as; Frederick 1814-2b(for brass) P(for plain edge) 24 . 5mm R-8(5-10 known), mine is AE, not listed as such. Obv. FRIED WILHELM KOENIG VON PRUSSEN Rev. DIE/ FREYHEIT/ VON EUROPA/ WIEDER HERGESTELLT/ BEY ENGLAND/ UND IHREN/ BUNDS GENOSSEN/ DER FRIEDE/ UNTERSCHRIEBEN/ ZU PARIS/ MAY 30 1814. For a translation see the next medal. Frederick 1814-1b(b for brass) P(for plain edge) 24 . 5mm R-5 (75-200 known) my example is AE, not listed as such. Obv. Uniformed bust of the King of Prussia, bare head, right. FRIED WILHELM KOENIG VON PRUSSEN (Friedrick Wilhelm, King of Prussia) Rev. THE / LIBERTIES / OF EUROPE RESTD. / BY THE UNITED / EFFORTS OF ENGLAND / AND HER / AUGUST ALLIES / THE / PRELIMINARIES / OF PEACE SIGNED / MAY 30 / 1814 Also listed by Brown in BHM #809 - 1814, Bronze(traces of gilt) 25mm N.(for normal) by T. Kettle. Only listed in brass. Fauver(Exonumia Symbolism etc) places this as 1814 Frederick-3kpa(gold plated copper) P(plain edge) 23 . 5 mm R-8(5-10 known) by Thomas Kettle 1814. I still think it was produced by Henry Kettle in 1797 to commemorate Frederick Wilhelm II's death in that year, see previous post http://www.coinpeopl...__fromsearch__1 It is almost an exact copy of the Prussian 1796 d'or with the Berlin mintmark A. That would mean that the portrait on this medal, if produced in 1797 for Frederick II's death, was the correct one to use, whereas if it is a 1814 medal it was the wrong one. Why Thomas used the deceased King's image for his son's in 1814 is a bit strange, maybe just a mistake.

The "SOLE MAN" is quite clear, thanks for the post Barry. I had seen the listing in Batty's, #771, but had never seen an example before.

L'Art de se traiter dans les maladies veneriennes." Paris, 1770 was one of many books, so "ornery" seems somewhat appropriate oh sorry I thought you wrote "horny"