The wife of one of my favorite French sellers also has an eBay site. I saw this medal as a BIN and just couldn't resist. I think it's cool the way she is holding three naked women in the palm of her hand. Chris
That really is unusual Chris, and a beautiful medal as well. I can't read the legends, so can you tell me what the purpose of it is? Is it an award medal of some sort? Bruce
I really don't know myself. I just bought it this morning as a BIN from a French seller, and the item description is in French. Since I don't speak or read either Italian or French, I'll wait until I receive it to do more research on it. Chris
Using Google translate, the obverse legend reads Royal Academy of Fine Arts, and the reverse Extraordinary Charges.
Hmm, #260792447838? It apparently was a medal made by Luigi Manfredini and awarded for "extraordinary achievements" by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (in Milan and Bologna?). Here http://www.cisui.unibo.it/annali/09/testi/15Giumanini_frameset.htm is some info in Italian; search for "Le medaglie" in that pretty long text. The description is actually about a slightly different medal, but as far as I can tell, that difference affects the reverse (with the wreath) only. Christian
I didn't see any photos in your link, but it was quite common in many European mints for obverse and reverse designs to be interchanged and used for more than one medal. If a mint, whether governmental or private, owns the rights to a design, they can use it however they choose. Chris
There are no photos in that text. It's just that it describes in some detail what is depicted on the medal you showed us. Christian
Nice medal! It is easy to see where the artist got his inspiration: Lysimachus Tetradrachm - Amphipolis, Thrace Head of Alexander the Great wearing the Horn of Ammon Athena left on throne, resting left arm on shield, spear resting against right side Nike crowning name Struck: BC 288-281 (about) Mint: Amphipolis Size: 30mm Weight: 17.14g Lysimachus was one of Alexander's bodyguards, a successor, and later ruler of Macedonia.
I've since learned that the three women in her hand represent the Three Graces....... The term The Three Graces may refer to: Charites, known in Greek mythology as The Three Graces, goddesses of such things as charm, beauty, and creativity. In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae. Chris
Yeah, I was just going to post about the Three Graces. They are ancient symbols of viruous womanhood and depicted frequently on Roman coins, especially early Inperial and associated with Augusta's and female members of the Imperial family.
And in this particular case the three Graces refer to the "three arts" (of design), namely sculpture, painting and architecture. That is explained in the text that I referred to in post #7: "La medaglia nel diritto raffigura Pallade con l'elmo, seduta sul trono, che tiene nella mano destra le tre grazie, a simboleggiare le tre arti, sormontate da una stella" ... Christian
