Featured US Treasury Medal, Engraved Grace Kelly, 1956 - A Mystery

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I agree. LordM, I think you have the real thing.

 

I certainly wish to believe it is original. Congratulations on the find, research, and truly beloved American Princess story. Not if, but when your research becomes reality please continue your post, thank you!

 

Thank you all for your opinions and suggestions.

This medal does have mystery and a certain aura, and I am inclined to think it was presented to her in 1956, but the final connection of the dots might elude me. I will keep on trying.

Still it is a keepsake of a golden period in filmmaking.

 

While this medal does have a lot going for it, the inscription uses a more basic font than the struck medallion which uses a more artistic asymmetric flair.

One thing I did notice is that while the earlier reverse (Iwo Jima flag raising) is often seen on eBay, I could not locate the one by the OP. This may be because of the later 50s version just coincidentally is missing right now or it could be a bit rarer.

 

The biggest mystery is still how Judy Garland in “A Star is Born” did not win the Oscar over Grace Kelly.

 

I see what you're saying regarding the font. I don't know who did the engraving, or when. I assume before the medal was presented - it would be odd to do it afterwards. The font for the engraved area is a sans serif, similar to the style used for the medal's legends, which seems to be a stylized font, and it seems quite nicely done. It's possible that achieving an exact match would be difficult to do. I don't know - I not an expert on these things.

Yes this is a later design of the Savings Bond medal, but it seems that they do show up with some regularity, which one would expect given the large numbers produced over the years.

Thanks

 

After all these decades, I strongly believe that such artistic "remnants" will remain mysterious souvenirs urging us to wonder again why and exactly how did this great American Star or Princess disappear ?! I humbly seize this opportunity to revive the memory of another "deceased" great American Star : Nathaly Wood. Both these great women left us. May their souls cherish in Heaven.
I believe they both were victims. They're still alive in our hearts. Merry Christmas.

 

You might try contacting the royal family and asking if they have any information (If it was hers though they may want it back)
Prince’s Palace of Monaco
B.P. 518
MC 98015 Monaco Cedex

Explain what you have with photos, how you got it and ask if it is possibly it was the medal presented to her. You may just get a form letter, but what have you got to lose?

 

Thank you for the suggestion.

I'll consider sending them a letter.

 

So - I used to collect movie props and there is a whole group of people that collect “celebrity owned” things. I mean they will spend a ton on an ash tray Frank Sinatra apparently owned, etc. there is little proof with a lot of these. How could there be. Most are just bought from sears etc and you are going by an estates word etc. this photo
And article and engraving and way more Provenance than a lot of those items have. Also the fact that Grace Kelly isn’t a widely collected celebrity - while well known - people
Don’t collect her like Marilyn Monroe
Or James dean etc. and that kind of helps this piece because why fake her name on it then not sell it for a premium - as it sounds like the seller didn’t put much weight behind it. On the flip
Side, her name
Won’t add a ton of value. There are a few things here too - coins and items end up all
Over for various reasons. She might have just ceremoniously accepted this medal and given it to her housekeeper when she got home because she didn’t really want it. Or maybe the engraver made a few practice pieces or backup pieces and kept one for himself because he was a fan and it got
Loose without context at some point. Don’t forget - an original WIZARD OF OZ costume was found at a thrift store so things just kind of travel on their own. I’m a Huge fan of the glory days of Hollywood and have a lifelong crush on Kelly (I worked in movies for almost 20
Years) so I would LOVE this piece - and I think you will find that if you contact heritage auctions or
Propstore auctions and focus on a Hollywood
Memorabilia auction you will get interest even without “rock solid” history.

 

Thank you.

I suppose there are many possible scenarios for this medal, and aside from the information I provided for this thread, there is still a mystery and a degree of mystic in play. There are many things in life that come to us not neatly bundled with provenance attributed with absolute certainty, and this is one of those cases. Besides, that's at least half the fun of collecting!

 

The soldier dude looks like he could be a model for 2000 Massachusetts quarter

 

Whatever you choose to do, please keep us abreast of it. All us coin collectors like to tease about having a Morgan that Billy The Kid handled and such..... But I do believe that you may very well have an artifact here with some genuine royal provenance. What a great and wonderful mystery...... It reminds me of the love token @lordmarcovan had and was able to follow the family lineage down to the living ancestors. Absolutely wonderful piece you have there.

 

Thanks. I will try.

 

Absolutely! Provenance and money in the bank!! Great find and "Rear Window" is one of her best movies ever!!

 

Thanks & a Happy 2021!

 

Have you done a google image search to see if possibly the reverse of that medal was ever photographed? It could be worth a shot and could lead to more info. Just a thought.