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My wildest MMOH O/S.

Z

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1930's Frank Buck - Bring 'em back alive
Brass Medal 31 mm






Frank Buck was an adventurer who became world famous for his safari trips around the world and for bringing back over 100,000 live exotic and wild animals to the US for zoos and circuses. He appeared in adventure films and is a co star in Abbott & Costello's 1949 "Africa Screams".
He was the director for the San Diego Zoo. There were comic and adventure books for kids and bubble gum cards. One Topps card I have is shown below.

Frank Buck toured with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and brought his popular "Jungle Camp" to the 1939 New York World's Fair. "Frank Buck's Jungleland" displayed rare birds, reptiles, and wild animals, along with a five-year-old trained orangutan named Jiggs.
In addition, Buck provided a trio of performing Asian elephants, an 80-foot "monkey mountain" with 600 monkeys, and camel rides.
Frank Buck also wrote numerous books. In his time during the earlier half of the 20th century, he filled the imagination of kids and adults and was a big star known by all.


1950 Topps Bring Em Back Alive No. 32

 

Insanely awesome toning on that one.

Z

 

1899 French Medal
Ville du Havre - Société canine de la Basse-Seine
by Louis Bottee
44 mm Silvered Bronze





This obverse appears on other medals but this one really caught my eye.
That rooster on the helmet or cap of Marianne is in my opinion amazing.
The engraving and design of this medal is beautiful. I love the dogs on the reverse.
Perhaps there was a dog show around 1900?
Maybe the Canine Society is similar to the AKC?
I do not know, but there seems to be a series of these similar medals.
This same reverse with the dogs also appears on other medals with different images of Marianne on the obverse, but that rooster had me at first hello.

The artist / engraver

Louis Alexandre Bottee was born in Paris, France on March 14, 1852. At age 13 Bottée was apprenticed to an engraver. He later studied at Ecole des Beaux-Arts and privately with Paulin Tasset.

He is best known as an engraver of international exposition medals including Expositions Universelles of 1889 and 1900 in Paris, the World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair) of 1893, Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St Louis World's Fair) in 1904. He also did the 1906 Restoration of San Francisco medal. He was made an officer of the Legion d'honneur in 1903. He died in Paris in November 1940.

 

Incredible piece and info.. Thanks for posting

 

In todays mail

 

I found an interesting series of medals / tokens. 1/2 oz. copper each of them. Some intriguing and historically important designs as well.

Z

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1912 France Military medal Pro Patria ~ Bronze 50mm

 

1863 Civil War Token ~Our Army UNC

 

Civil War Token 1863 ~ Capitol Building

 

Civil War Token 1864 Bangor Maine RS Torrey Bee Hive~ UNC

 

Just had them graded.
WOW Wood State 70 with a + and a*.
PS I use the Night Train Grading Service

 

I think they missed the boat. Those are at least 72's.

I think you should CAC them. They should be double gold bean eligible.

Z

 

@ZoidMeister
Better yet how about a moose sticker

 

A lot of reading here or just look at the pictures

1879 Joan of Arc - A. Poncet - Silver Medal





Joan of Arc is the patron saint of France, martyrs, captives, military personnel, people ridiculed for their piety, prisoners, and soldiers.

An illiterate farm girl from Lorraine in eastern France.
As early as the age of twelve, she began to have mystical visions, which were often accompanied by light and the presence of saints such as St Michael and St Catherine telling her to deliver France from her enemies.



She made a strong impression on Charles de Ponthieu with her passion and conviction and given control over an army and allowed to lead them into battle. Within a year Joan of Arc had led the French army to victories at Orleans, Patay and Troyes.
Joan of Arc disguised herself as a man during her battles against the English and armies of the Duke of Burgundy.
She was finally captured and sold to the English, who had her tried for witchcraft in Rouen.
According to historians, Joan of Arc was 19 when she was burnt at the stake by the English on 30 May, 1431. Witnesses recount she faced her ordeal with dignity. It is said that over 10,000 people came to see her execution by burning.
The Cardinal of Winchester is recorded as having ordered her to be burnt a second time.
Her organs still survived this fire, so a third burning was ordered to destroy the body completely. Her cinders and debris were to be thrown into the Seine.
Joan of Arc achieved a remarkable achievement in her short life. In particular, she embodied religious devotion with great bravery and humility, her life helped change the course of French history.

“One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”
– Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was canonised a saint in 1920. During the Second World War, both Vichy France and the French resistance claimed Joan of Arc as a national symbol for their cause.


1966 Joan of Arc SCFC Sterling Silver Medal



Joan of Arc - This was originally commissioned by the Societe Commemorative de Femmes Celebres. It was their first medal struck by The Franklin Mint to honor famous women in the 50 medal set. 3,220 of these coin-medals were minted as solid sterling silver proofs.

Bravery comes in many forms and Saint Joan of Arc was nothing short of a heroine for the Catholic Faith and for France.
At the age of 13, Joan began receiving visions from the Lord. She kept these visions private for many years but eventually shared her message with Charles VII of France. She implored him to take up arms against the English and return France to French rule.
So certain in her beliefs that she served and led troops into battle. She was seriously wounded but her leadership on the battlefield lead to Charles VII to take the thrown.
She was captured and sold to the English who tried Joan of Arc and executed her. Twenty-three years after her death she was found innocent of all crimes.
Her memorial day is May 30th.

1909 Joan of Arc Beatification Medal





May 30 1431 Joan of Arc was sentenced to death on charges of heresy, accused of being a witch, cross dressing and having worn her hair short. She was burned at the stake and her remains were thrown into the Seine River.



The date 1909 is for the beatification ceremony, held on April 18 1909 for Joan of Arc.
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name.

Samuel Clemens was fascinated with the life of Joan of Arc. I too find her life quite extraordinary and have collected a few things about her.

I have 5 different old non sporting cards of her.
My favorite of them is probably the short printed
1952 No 133

 

Magnificent display of Medals and information.
Thank you for posting.

 

1917 Battle of Verdun SILVER Medal by S.E. Vernier

I think of Joan of Arc when I look at my silver and bronze 1917 Battle of Verdun medals. One might think she was on this medal but I find no place where she is the subject. This is Marianne with helmet and sword.





At 7:12 a.m. on the morning of February 21, 1916, a shot from a German Krupp 38-centimeter long-barreled gun—one of over 1,200 such weapons set to bombard French forces along a 20-kilometer front stretching across the Meuse River—strikes a cathedral in Verdun, France, beginning the Battle of Verdun, which would stretch on for 10 months and become the longest conflict of World War I.

I believe there were about 143,000 casualties on the Germany side and 162,440 on the French in this battle alone.

World War I Era 1917 France Battle Of Verdun "On Ne Passe Pas" Memorial Medal. Loosly translated, "On Ne Passe Pas" means "We're Not Going", or, more likely "They Shall Not Pass", referring to the German Army.
This battle was so bloody men called it the "Meat Grinder".

1917 Battle of Verdun Bronze Medal by S.E. Vernier





Both measure 37 mm.
This is a medal that was presented in a leather pouch accompanied with a folded certificate to French soldiers. There is a very similar medal with a loop and ribbon that is to be worn on a uniform.

 

1914 Alsace WWI French Bronze Patriotic Medal
G. Prudhomme
1 3/16 in Diameter





The medal was produced early in World War I in anticipation of the reincorporation of Alsace into the French Republic and used for a variety of different purposes, including award by the Red Cross for relief work in Alsace and to military such as the First and Seventh Territorial Battalions of the Chasseurs Alpins who were prominent in the liberation of Alsace. Alsace borders Germany and has been fought over by France and Germany for a long time, being in a strategic location on the west bank of the Rhine. It has been an integral part of France since the treaty of Versailles, but the ethnic origin of the majority of the people is German.

On the obverse is a woman shown in traditional folk costume from the Strasbourg region.
She is wearing a Schlupfkapp, a cap with the giant bow which has become a symbol of Alsace. The bow over time became progressivly larger. A black bow is always worn by Protestants and a red bow is worn by Catholic unmarried girls. In some regions Catholic girls may wear a very colorful Schlupfkapp.



On the reverse are White Storks. They nest atop houses and on man made perches.
They migrate to Alsace every year and raise the young during summer. When the young are ready in early fall they fly for the winter.
If a stork should choose your house, local legend says it will bring luck to your family. Today there are over 600 stork couples in Alsace, at least 50 on the rooftops of Strasbourg alone.



According to European folklore, the stork is responsible for bringing babies to new parents. The legend is very ancient, but was popularised by a 19th-century Hans Christian Andersen story called The Storks.
German folklore held that storks found babies in caves or marshes and brought them to households in a basket on their backs or held in their beaks in sheets.
The babies would then be given to the mother or dropped down the chimney. Households would notify when they wanted children by placing sweets for the stork on the window sill.
Birthmarks on the back of the head of newborn baby, are sometimes referred to as stork-bite.



I will mention in 1682, Georg Franck von Franckenau’s writing, De ovis paschalibus (About Easter Eggs) the Easter Bunny was originally referred to in Alsace tradition as an "Easter Hare" bringing Easter Eggs.

 

Back in 1996 I found a Frank Buck "Black Leopard" toy ring.
It was shown in Western & Eastern Treasures Magazine as a "Best Find of 1996".

I still have it.
Supposedly worth a lot.