I love...Big Copper

Can't believe I haven't posted this one here, though technically a bronze I suppose. Fell in love with it out of a picture in a book where all that was listed was the measurement (137mm), artist (Vernon), and presumptive name ('centaure?'), and year (1935?). I was surprised by the lack of details and the ? marks. Most of the medals in the book did not have question marks. Vernon is a rather prominent medal designer.

Anyway it hits my 'art deco', 'sighthound', 'mythology', and 'horse' buttons. All that's missing is a pregnant lady and a stork to pretty much hit my favorites.

Thing is massive! Have no idea how much it weighs, or how much it's 'worth'. I paid the asking price after having asked about it for years. A guy I met at NYINC found it in France...so the 'delivered price' was at least partially towards the large shipping fee.

Quickie phone pix I haven't fixed yet. Have a bit of a lighting change that should resolve those hot spots next time I try to photo it. It's too big for my camera so the cell phone will have to do (in fact, I have a new phone since then, so I really need to get to trying this).



and for size

 

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1819 French medal, 42mm diameter. More info about it at this link:
https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/76222

 

1818 Netherlands Indies 2 stuiver "bonk", 35.2 grams, approx 27mm Long x 20mm Wide x 9mm Thick.

 

That’s a new one to me. Pretty cool.

 

When I was young, I guess 14 to 16, I collected coins. I used to make molds from aluminum foil of Morgan dollars or Walking Lib halves. Then I used to make my own chocolate coins. It's pretty easy and you don't need original dies. At the time, and still today, all my Barber halves are very low grade (like AG-3, the darn things are so expensive in top grades) so I couldn't make good molds of anything older than Walkers.

 

You opened up a very interesting topic. This would be Karl Goetz medals. Normally I don't collect medals but his medals are in a class by themselves. I've also gotten some of the new books on his stuff. You could make this into it's own thread. I've 2-3 Goetz medals: some of which are pretty raunchy!

 

Is it only me, but when I see the thread title, i always think..... and i cannot lie.

 

My wife was making some Chinese food and asked if I had any Chinese coins to show. While I don't collect them I did find one bronze bought long ago from Karl Stephens ($49).

Chinese,
SUN K'O-WANG
Reign title: HSING-CHAO, AD 1644-1650
bronze candareen*, 49-50 mm diam, 27.121 grams (*wt of 7.6 cash)



China
SUN K'O-WANG
Reign title: HSING-CHAO, AD 1644-1650
S-1332

Sun K'o-Wang was the adopted son of Hang Hsien Chung. After the death of Hang, Sun K'o went to Yunnan where he cast the Hsing-Chao coins, one of which bears a Board of Works (KUNG) mint mark, but must have been minted after Sun-K'o left Peking.

In 1650, Sun K'o-Wang surrendered to the Ching and became known as the patriotic prince.

MING REBELS

In AD 1644 the Chinese were once again conquered by foreigners as the Manchurians took control of much of China to establish the Ch'ing Dynasty. This was a period of turmoil during which a series of pretenders and rebels controlling small (some sometimes not so small) regions fought a series wars and rebellions at first against the Ming, later against the Ch'ing, and sometimes between each other. These people are referred to as the Ming Rebels and it is a fairly complex period in Chinese history.

The inscription starts at the top and is read around to the right, rather than the usual top-bottom-left-right.

I don't know if this was made by one of the Ming Invaders or by a proper Chinese person. The name "Patriotic Prince" implies the latter.

 

A zookeeper who worked for many years at the Zoological Society of London would be awarded this long service medal (BHM 1272, 77mm).

 

Victoria Numismatic Society 150th anniversary of Canada, 38mm, mintage of only 100.

 

Gregory XVI by Cerbara, 1835, recognizing the opening of the Catillo tunnel. A handful at 68mm, 191gms. Mazio 624.

 

George IV Coronation medal by Thomason and Jones, 54mm.

 

Here is the biggest one I have.

 

George IV coronation by T. Webb, 1821. BHM 1092, 55mm.

 

Very nice & impressive. I give preference to actual circulating coinage like yours, over medals. I presume you bought the slab and cracked it out? It's really good to see one in such nice condition, they're quite uncommon above VF with edge bangs: such is the specimen that I have.

 

Actually I bought a raw group of 5 long ago. All graded Xf-45- AU55. I sold 4 and kept the best one. I have a 1770-1807 1/2D set. This was to go with it. This one has barely has any edge damage.

 

1742 (I think) Sweden 2 Daler Plate Money

Big and ugly but cool.

Obverse: Corner stamps: Crowned FRS, date. Center stamp: 2 DALER SILF: MYNT, crossed arrows

Ruler: Frederick I

Composition: Copper

Dimensions: 178mm x 146mm x 6mm

Weight: 1247g

 

After seeing one in person, they are a lot thinner than I expected. However, that does not cross them off my want list.

 

I also have a much smaller 1/2 Daler piece that is only about 108mm square. This one has a much more noticeable "shipwreck effect" so I picked it up for a very reasonable price.

 

I’m assuming it’s from the Nicobar. That in itself is interesting to me. There was one 4 Daler I liked, but I never purchased it.