Jump to content
CoinPeople.com

A Mystery Medal I Need Some Help With.....Now Solved.


Recommended Posts

  • 2 months later...

The landscape portrayed appears to be in Cappadocia which has a rather unique feature, Fairy Chimneys.

“Fairy chimneys" were formed when lava covering the tuff (consolidated volcanic ash) gave way along preexisting cracks of sloping areas and became isolated pinnacles. They can attain a height of up to forty meters, have conical shapes and consist of caps of harder rock resting on pillars of softer rock"

 

I am not sure if the person depicted is male or female(more likely) but seeing the church/monastery/nunnery etc he/she must be involved with religion. The eye & nose(elongated) are very large in comparision with the tiny chin & lips, giving an orthodox icon impression. Why there is no inscription, especially with the empty space on the reverse is puzzling but perhaps who ever had it made expected the person to be known.

 

What I hoped would help in identification, the small heraldic shield, alas has not given up any clues, just more mystery. The triple mound on the reverse could reflect the landscape and strangely a frame saw is either just behind or is cutting through the hills/fairy chimney!

 

Churches, houses etc were commonly carved into the mountain sides & fairy chimneys in Cappadocia but I can not find the one shown on this medal, that is if it is carved into the hillside & not 'free standing'.

 

Somethings are meant to remain a mystery, someone said "an unidentified medal is just a piece of metal" but I am still glad I own this one. Maybe one day someone will post the answer as to what this is............

 

 

121-horz-vert-vert.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These are just 2 christian religious buildings still standing, one free standing & now converted to a mosque, one carved directly into the rock & now surrounded by a town. Many of them have collapsed or the materials been used for other buildings.

 

sumela_monastery.jpgGuzelyurt-St-Gregory-Church.jpgfc9ab3e4-0e18-4c25-bec4-eb552fffb4be.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

Well I finally cracked it.

 

img_0333-horz23.jpg

DSCF1952-horz.jpg

 

She is the Black Maddona or The Virgin of Montserrat(Montserrat is a Catalan word which means "serrated mountain" or cut by a saw) the building is the Santa Maria de Montserrat a Benedictine Monastery in Catalonia, Spain. On September 11, 1881, Pope Leo XIII declared the virgin of Montserrat patroness of Catalonia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am so glad that I made no suggestions on this. Why? Well for a start I must have at least 8 medals from Montserrat and have visited the monastery many times.

Me, observant or what? I've even been on the annual pilgrimage or aplec which, to be fair is more like a mobile feast, party and concert in one. The Catalans know how to enjoy themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am so glad that I made no suggestions on this. Why? Well for a start I must have at least 8 medals from Montserrat and have visited the monastery many times.

Me, observant or what? I've even been on the annual pilgrimage or aplec which, to be fair is more like a mobile feast, party and concert in one. The Catalans know how to enjoy themselves.

I am very jealous re your visits but not so much re your observational skills :swoon:

 

Once I had finally identified my medal I googled images of Montserrat medals but could find none remotely like it. Are any of your Montserrat medals similar to mine?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:bthumbsup: Way to go Constanius! I must sheepishly admit that after your mention of Cappadocia, I was convinced the medal was from a monastery in Turkey, and spent hours searching for that bit of architecture and the crowned figure. :blol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...