hiho Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 yep! that's definitely a beaut! Thanks Ian. You are a man of impeccable taste. I have three more medals to post here that just arrived from Switzerland, including a pretty rare gold Schutzenfest medal that will knock your socks off. Stay tuned... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 1906 Langnau (Bern) Richter # 257a 23mm silver 1447 struck Engraved by Holy Freres 40 VF/120 UNC in silver 80 VF/200 UNC in brass I couldn't ask for a nicer example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 1903 Biel (Bern) Richter # 251a 45mm silver 693 struck Engraved by Holy Freres 60 VF/180 UNC in silver (251a) 100 VF/250 UNC in brass (251b) Uncleaned and I find the toning on the bottom of the city view to be quite attractive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 1910 Bern Richter # 263a 28mm gold (13.8g) 400 struck Engraved by Holy Freres 250 VF/400 UNC (based on 2005 gold prices) The very first Swiss shooting medal I bought years ago was this in silver, and I still have it. To be able to find one in gold, especially in this condition, was a real treat. Right now this is sitting on my nightstand so I can look at it every day. When the sunlight hits it just right it lights up like the Holy Grail. Thanks to Rod Moores dad for these three medals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted August 3, 2008 Report Share Posted August 3, 2008 I'm very happy to hear you are enjoying your new acquisitions hiho. My Dad and I love the hobby and also enjoy passing along any information we can regarding schützenfest items. I am very happy to have you participating in our every other Friday auctions, I hope you have found them beneficial and enjoyable! schutzenfester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 I am very happy to have you participating in our every other Friday auctions... Your auctions have been the highlight of my summer... I'm finding the best way to really study my coins and medals is to take high resolution photos of them which I then use as a computer background for a few weeks. You discover new things when you see them living large every single day. I recently noticed that Holy Freres signed this on the bottom left of the medal... While they signed this silver one centered... I sold that medal long ago but dug out another that I bought at the same time, and I'm pleased to report that I have one of each type in silver. Now I need to find another gold one signed in the center, assuming one exists. My work never ends... I also have two new medals to show off, an incredible 1911 Lenzburg from Aargau that looks like it was struck yesterday, and a VERY rare 1908 Faido from Ticino that is on the way. I am currently working 56 hours a week until the Olympics end, then the Democratic and Republican Conventions begin, but I'll forego some sleep and post some photos soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 Guys, I love looking at your pictures. Thanks for sharing all of them. If I had more time and $$ I'd definitely explore this area in person. In the meantime, keep those pics coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 ...keep those pics coming It would take a court order to stop me posting photos of my medals. Thanks for the support DP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 1911 Lenzburg (Aargau) Richter # 33a 28mm silver 534 struck Engraved by Holy Freres 40 VF/120 UNC This came in it's original case and the details in the womans hair are quite amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 1908 Faido (Ticino) Richter # 1441a 45mm silver 125 estimated struck Engraved by Holy Freres 200 VF/400 UNC Richter gives this a scarity rating of RR yet I have been told it's probably more like a RRR. (RR = Very Rare, RRR = Less than 10 examples known to exist) My lazy postman never left a delivery notice when he tried to deliver this so it sat at the Post Office for a month while I worried. And worried. And worried. All well that ends well though, right? Very difficult to photograph the portrait side of this medal. NONE of my pics were in focus. That's odd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 1905 Olten (Solothurn) Richter # 1127a 45mm silver 505 estimated struck Engraved by Holy Freres 60 VF/180 UNC This may well be my favorite Holy Freres design, certainly top 5 out of 50+ at the very least. All of these medals came from Rod Moore's father. Thanks again RM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 I love that these medals feature a gorgeous background with a fair maiden in the foreground. Who is the girl in each case? Is she a Swiss legend like America's Columbia or Britain's Britannia? Why do they always feature a mountain/valley setting? Are those the villages? As always, love the pics and maybe one day I'll love the medal myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeOldeCollector Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Must say Hiho, I am LOVING these medals! Just don't get me hooked, I'm bad enough with my hammereds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 I love that these medals feature a gorgeous background with a fair maiden in the foreground. Who is the girl in each case? Is she a Swiss legend like America's Columbia or Britain's Britannia? Why do they always feature a mountain/valley setting? Are those the villages? The fair maiden is usually Helvetia, the female personification of Switzerland. (Americans have Lady Liberty, the English have Britannia, the French have Marianne, and the Swiss have Helvetia.) Sometimes though the fair maiden was a local lass dressed in the traditional garb of the town where the Schutzenfest was held. Rod, please correct me if I am wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 The fair maiden is usually Helvetia, the female personification of Switzerland. (Americans have Lady Liberty, the English have Britannia, the French have Marianne, and the Swiss have Helvetia.) Sometimes though the fair maiden was a local lass dressed in the traditional garb of the town where the Schutzenfest was held. Rod, please correct me if I am wrong. Oh, now I remember. Thanks! Also, so each town pictured was the host town for Schutzenfest. Was this an annual festival or an event that each town may host on its own during a summer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 Oh, now I remember. Thanks! Also, so each town pictured was the host town for Schutzenfest. Was this an annual festival or an event that each town may host on its own during a summer? Hiho, You are for the most correct IMHO. By looking at medals with a woman represented you will notice that the woman depicted on Swiss schützenfest medals look different from medal to medal most of the time. Helvetia is likely the main character but as you stated other women (A Swiss woman) is the primary candidate. The French Marianne, U.S. Lady Liberty and U.K. Britannia almost always look the same on the various medals. thedeadpoint, Many times the scene depicted is the locality where the shoot was held or a local landmark. Schützenfests were held as Federal, Cantonal, Regional and City events. The Federal (Country wide) was yearly and attracted thousands of people. Cantonal (state) were as widely attended by the public. Shoots in general were the high point on the calendar for the populous at the time. Hundreds of thousands of Swiss francs commonly comprised the value of the shoot's awards. The participants were awarded a wide range of items for awards for placing in different levels of the various shoots as well as for participating. Somewhat common awards were medals; however the mintage of medals compared to coins makes them rare. The most common form of award is the shooting decoration; these are seen on eBay commonly and can be most easily described as looking like a formal military award that is pinned on a person's chest. Before a shoot, committee members would solicit local shop keepers for prizes (usually custom made) to be awarded at the shoot. These awards can range from silver services, clocks, watches, guns, currency in displays, statues, cups and the list goes on. As stated above most of these types of awards made by local vendors were custom made and had some type of attribution to the specific shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 12, 2008 Report Share Posted September 12, 2008 Wow. Lovely. Thanks, Schutz. I really am interested in these but won't have the money for them anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 Here are two eamples of a beautiful shooting medal albeit common. The first in bronze and then the same medal in silver. It is Richter 228/Martin141 1894 Thun, Bern 45mm Bronze, 1,452 examples Silver, 724 examples Engraver: Franz Homberg, Bern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted September 13, 2008 Report Share Posted September 13, 2008 hiho, Here is R228 without the 'Diamond A' like your medal. 1911 Olten, Solothurn Silver, 23mm Holy Freres, St. Imier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted September 15, 2008 Report Share Posted September 15, 2008 Here is an example of a German shooting award. It is from a shoot in Rothenburg, July 3, 1907 and was awarded to the Schutzen Konig. The award is in perfect condition with toning and no detractions. I have never seen another like it and thought everyone might enjoy seeing it- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted September 16, 2008 Report Share Posted September 16, 2008 Here is R87/M53; Basel 1844, 38mm, engraved by Antoine Bovy of Genf. Although this medal is relatively common in silver and bronze, here is an example of it gold plated. In Richter, it is identified as bronze, gold plated but my example is stamped Cuivre (copper) on the rim edge, as most likely all the gold plated examples are. In all our years of collecting, my Dad (47 yrs.) and I (28 years) had never seen a gold plated example of this medal until I was able to purchase it a few years ago and am very happy to own it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted September 16, 2008 Report Share Posted September 16, 2008 hiho,Here is R228 without the 'Diamond A' like your medal. 1911 Olten, Solothurn Silver, 23mm Holy Freres, St. Imier Very nice Rod. If you ever want to sell it please let me know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted September 28, 2008 Report Share Posted September 28, 2008 Here is a picture of an extremely rare medal from Murten. Canton: Fribourg Locale: Murten Type of Shoot: Schutzen Gesellschaft Von Murten Year: 1843 (without loop) Metal: Silver Size: 39mm Richter #401, Martin #215 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schutzenfester Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 I recently aquired new software and was able to put the previous Murten medal in a new and nice (imho) presentation...Somewhat the same as above but I was able to expand upon that original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Fantastic photo Rod, care to tell us how you got the reflections and shadows? Looks like something from a Heritage auction catalog... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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