Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I recently picked up a German silver medal with what I think is an absolutely beautiful reverse, but a really ugly obverse. Seriously, who wears a hat like that? What do you think? Any other coins where you love one side and hate the other? Post some pics!
They keep putting a picture of my mom on those Koala coins. She's gonna be mad when she finds out....
I absolutely love the reverse (is it liberty, or another similar figure?), and the mustached man reminds me of the History Channel's dramatization of Wyatt Earp. I really like how intricate the design is, from the sword to the background to the eagle on liberty or whoever's shirt. The hair detail is also stunning.
The "woman warrior" is Germania, and the background is Friedrichsruh House. (German page; the English page has hardly any info/images.) Bismarck got that, as a donation, from the Prussian king and German emperor Wilhelm I, in 1871. He lived there from when he retired (1890) until he died (1898), and the medal, by Otto Oertel, was issued roughly in the middle of those years. Guess that such designs were popular roughly 120 years ago. Next year the Federal Republic of Germany will issue a Bismarck collector coin; whether his portrait will feature such a hat is not known yet. Christian
Wow Christian, thank you for the history on this coin. It has been difficult finding much info out there on the coin itself (info on Bismarck is plentiful). I appreciate the info - makes owning the coin much more of a rich experience. Thank you!
