Anyone Bidding in the Frank Robinson auction?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by ancient coin hunter, Feb 1, 2018.

  1. Ed Snible

    Ed Snible Well-Known Member

    That thread has 380 pages, suggesting a great interest in the subject! I dislike posting to really long-lived threads because I feel I will see alerts on the thread every day for years to come.

    I recently obtained a WWII-era medal celebrating the fall of Nazism and I have not found anywhere medal collectors hang out to discuss it.

    Dealer photo:
    3594623l.jpg
    Italy, 1945, Aurelio Mistruzzi (1880-1960). Bronze, 32.11g Cu/Ae, 43 mm
    Obv: GERMANIA. DEVICTA. MCMXLV ("Germany conquered 1945"); swastika marked Gorgon Medusa, allied flags behind
    Rev: MALEDICTUS·ERIS·SUPER·TERRAM ("you shall be cursed upon the earth"); lightening strikes swastika from sky over ruined village paved with skulls
     
    lordmarcovan, ycon, Smojo and 3 others like this.
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  3. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Pretty cool Medusa, Ed!

    I thought Collector's Universe had a dedicated and somewhat active exonumia board but their platform has changed since I last visited and I don't see it. Or, maybe I misremembers :D. Looks like medals are being posted on their World and Ancient board.

    https://forums.collectors.com/categories/world-ancient-coins-forum
     
  4. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

  5. TypeCoin971793

    TypeCoin971793 Just a random guy on the internet

    You can turn that off, you know.
     
  6. Bruce Sattin

    Bruce Sattin New Member

     
  7. Bruce Sattin

    Bruce Sattin New Member

    I found one of these medals in my mother's jewelry box, but the obverse face has a large V superimposed over the Statue of Liberty with "Victoria Victoria Victoria" around the edge. My father fought in WWII with the US. army - maybe some kind of military medal. Any ideas?
     
  8. Ed Snible

    Ed Snible Well-Known Member

    I believe it was a historical medal commemorating the victory, not a decoration that a soldier would receive. There is one on eBay with the same V as yours at https://www.ebay.com/itm/Victory-Over-Germany-in-World-War-II-Italy-1945-Rare-Medal/283260366683

    The artist is Aurelio Mistruzzi (1880-1960). I have only found the two versions, mine cursing the Nazis, yours celebrating the Americans. Probably struck in 1945.

    The Medusa side says GERMANIA. DEVICTA. MCMXLV ("Germany conquered 1945") and is signed MIST/RU/ZZI. Mistruzzi may have only been the sculptor because I found an example in a museum collection with the note "Aurelio Mistruzzi, sc. after Chiavacci". I believe "sc" is an Italian abbreviation for designer.

    Mistruzzi is famous for sculpting the busts on the official coins of Pius XI and part of those of Pius XII. He hid a 10-year-old Jewish girl from the Nazi's in his home for over a month [ http://db.yadvashem.org/righteous/family.html?language=en&itemId=6356167 ]
     
  9. Bruce Sattin

    Bruce Sattin New Member

     
  10. Bruce Sattin

    Bruce Sattin New Member

    Thanks for the quick reply. Mine is a little smaller than the one on eBay - 32mm - and has the Victoria on one side and the sculpture of the bombed-out village with the skulls and swastika on the other. Another variation on the theme. Any idea of the value?
     
  11. Ed Snible

    Ed Snible Well-Known Member

    The example on eBay has been sitting there for over a year. So less than that. The problem is that there are collectors of Mistruzzi and of Holocaust material, but not many. Mistruzzi is a real artist, his works appear in museums, but the collectors of quality medals aren't often looking at eBay or anywhere a regular person could sell a single medal.

    Put it on eBay under Exonumia->NumismaticMedals, start it at $50, make sure the description includes the words "Mistruzzi" and "Holocaust".
     
  12. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Oh my. That is grim but wonderful. I like it.
     
  13. Bruce Sattin

    Bruce Sattin New Member

     
  14. Bruce Sattin

    Bruce Sattin New Member

    Thanks, Ed. I wasn't looking to sell it necessarily, but I needed to know if it was really valuable and if I needed to insure it. I will probably save it for my grandchildren.
     
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