Let's see your exonumia!

Just as I expected, do an ebay search with
galerie metallique des grand hommes francais

 

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Thank you! I can read the French pretty well, and have also goggled it, etc. I did read somewhere about similar medals being restrikes, so I guess there was some profit in making such copies. I had felt concern that mine was a restrike, and I guess that was the point behind my re posting it. Just trying to pick your brain, as you do seem pretty savvy about this stuff.

 

I am getting a connection here
CAMPS CAZORLA, Emilio (1949-1950): Gayrard
Perhaps a restrike from atound 1950.

I do see Gayrard signed on obverse. I now suspect a very nice restrike though.

 

Well, Since we are touring France and talking about restrikes and questioning dates.
This may be fitting.

1833 July 28th Napoleon the Great France Medal





The Statue of Napoleon made by the sculptor Charles Emile Seurre is a bronze statue of 4 meters high and weighing nearly 5 tons. It sits today facing the entrance to the courtyard of the Hôtel des Invalides above the gate of the soldiers' church.



Placed initially at the top of the Vendôme column, it was inaugurated on July 28, 1833 in the presence of Louis-Philippe1.
Napoleon III decided in 1863 to replace the statue of the Vendome column by an imperial napoleon draped in the antique style. The statue of Seurre is then moved to the Courbevoie roundabout (La Défense roundabout)
In 1870 during the siege of Paris, the statue immersed in the Seine near the bridge of Neuilly to prevent the Prussian army seizes or degrades. Several versions are advanced by historians:
an involuntary immersion, the transport barge having capsized,
a voluntary immersion to secure the monument decided by Étienne Arago,
an act of vandalism perpetrated by anti-Bonapartists.
After a stay of 4 months at the bottom of the water, the statue is recovered and placed in The Deposit of Marbles of the State.
It was not until 1911 that General Niox, governor of the Invalides had the statue placed in its current location.
The statue underwent a complete restoration between July 2014 and March 2015.
I do not think this is an old medal.
NAPOLEON / LE GRAND / LA FRANCE / REGENEREE
on the reverse translates to:
"Napoleon The Great France Regenerated" which makes this a jeton or medal probably signifying the recent restoration of this statue in 2015.
The obverse was probably a reissue of a design of earlier medals by
Joseph François Domard (sculptor/medallist 1792-1858)

FRANCE
Bronze 1833 Medal
Re-installation of Napoleon´s Statue to the column in the Place Vendôme
25 mm
obverse: Within wreath: A NAPOLEON LE GRAND LA FRANCE REGENEREE
reverse: (Statue of Napoleon) 28 JT. 1833 SEURRE.I. DOMARD.F.

 

1900's Napoleon Bonaparte
Looped Medal
Edmond Henri Becker






Napoleon Bonaparte & Eagle Decors Medal by Edmond Henri Becker ( French artist and sculptor ) 1871-1971

From what I understand this particular 1 inch diameter medal is seldom found with "France" on the loop.
I do believe it is bronze & silver washed.
All of those I saw do not have this on the loop. I have not determined an exact year these were made but most I have found claim the early 1900's.
There is an Eagle on the reverse, possibly in relation to Napoleon's French Imperial Eagles.

Like the Roman legions centuries before them, Napoleon Bonaparte's armies carried eagles proudly at their head.
Introduced in 1804, the eagles sat atop blue regimental flagpoles, were sculpted out of bronze and weighed 1.85 kilograms (about four pounds).
They were made from six separately cast pieces designed along Roman lines and, when assembled, measured 310mm in height and 255mm in width. On the base would be the regiment's number or, in the case of the Guard, Guarde Imperiale.
To lose an eagle would bring shame to a fighting unit, which had pledged upon the symbol's receipt to defend it to the death.




One of the most celebrated losses of an eagle came at Waterloo, where Sergeant Charles Ewart of the Scots' Greys captured the cuckoo, as it was nicknamed, of the 45th Line Regiment. For his bravery - he killed at least three defenders - he was given a commission as ensign.
Many units - particularly dragoons, line and light infantry, were ordered to return their eagles before setting out on a campaign. Many disobeyed the order.
There are legendary tales of those guarding the eagles to have suffered numerous wounds - including mortal ones - in defending their precious possessions.
Upon Bonaparte's fall, the restored monarchy of Louis XVIII ordered all eagles to be destroyed and only a very small number escaped the vengeful act.
When the former emperor returned to power in 1815 he immediately had more eagles produced, although the quality did not match the originals. The workmanship was of a lesser quality and the main distinguishing changes had the new models with closed beaks and they were set in a more crouched posture.
After Waterloo, many eagles were again destroyed - almost 100 of them - but today there are a little over 130 in existence.

 

That's the one.

Z

 

You nailed it, thanks!

 

1917 Washington & Lafayette
Homage to USA WW1 medal
28 mm silvered bronze





In its conflicted inter dependency, the friendship between Washington and Lafayette reflects the relationship that the United States and France have maintained for more than two centuries. This little medal was made in 1917 to thank America for declaring war on Germany.

Gaston Albert Lavrillier, born in Paris in 1890 and died in 1958, is a French engraver, medalist, painter and sculptor.

Lafayette and Washington remained close friends after the war. Lafayette named his only son George Washington Lafayette. When the Marquis came back to the United States in 1784, he visited Washington in retirement at Mount Vernon in August, where the two men had an emotional reunion. Lafayette stayed with the Washington family at Mount Vernon for ten days.

Washington and Lafayette at Mount Vernon
1784
by Rossiter and Mignot

 

Notre Dame Cathedral
2 3/16th inches in diameter





A Bronze restrike of Raoul Benard's original 1863 medal.
This was probably struck in 1927 in France. The edge is marked as such.



On the obverse is Notre Dame Cathedral and what I believe in latin,
Ecclesia Parisiensis Beatae Mariae
which translates from Latin to:
Church of Our Lady of Paris
in English.

On the reverse, the image of Mary with Christ Child and guardian angels which is outside of the cathedral, in front of the Rose Window, a famous stained glass 10 meter in diameter window.
Ave Regina Caelorum
translates in Latin to English,
Hail the Queen of the Heavens

 

Federal Brand Enterprises Inc.
Silver Thomas and Martha Jefferson Medal.



Deaconess Medical Arts Bldg is now located where the address on the envelope reads 4263 Pearl Rd Cleveland Ohio 44109. Since there is a zip code, the medal has to have been minted after 1963.
I have seen pamphlets for these that had St Petersburg Florida on them under Cleveland Ohio.
I've found numerous listed all at once but of what was available, Jefferson was the only one that really interested me for the price.



I found a set of 36 of which Nixon was the last issue, inaugurated in 1969 without a second date for end of Presidency on the inserted holder. I have not found any later issues so I will date the set to 1969. It is quite possible this dates sometime from 1969 to 1974 since Nixon was re-elected in 1972 and resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974.
It could be as early as 1965 as some LBJ issues are the last in the sets with a space for the next president who has not been elected yet.
I have found some worthpoint listings that state these are .900 silver and 2,500 of each were minted.

There are bronze sets out there with a reported mintage of 20,000.
My Jefferson medal has 2175 on the rather rough envelope as well as 2175 stamped incuse on the edge of the medal. I'm dating it as 1969.
It is just a tad larger and thicker than a US Quarter at 25.65 mm.
There is the initials H over J below Jefferson's collar.

Odd that Jefferson is shown as "First Lady" since she was not while Jefferson was president.
She served as First Lady of Virginia during Thomas' term as Governor from 1779 to 1781.
Martha Skelton Jefferson (Wayles) Born October 19 or 30, 1748 – Died September 6, 1782) was the wife of Thomas Jefferson.
She was a little over five feet tall, with a lithe figure, auburn hair, and hazel eyes. There are no surviving portraits of Martha Jefferson while she was alive.

She played the harpsichord piano, while Thomas Jefferson played violins. It was said that Martha played very skilfully.
As Virginia's First Lady during the American Revolution, in response to a request from Martha Washington, Mrs. Jefferson led a drive among the women of Virginia to raise considerable funds and supplies for her state's militia in the Continental Army.


She did not serve as First Lady of the United States because she died at the age of 33 in 1782, 19 years before Jefferson became President.
Martha died four months after the birth of her last child.
Of the six children born to Thomas and Martha, only two survived to adulthood, Martha and Mary.
Daughter Martha was the only one to live past age 25.

 

1862 International Exhibition Medal - London
My oldest Exposition medal.



The 1862 International Exhibition, or Great London Exposition was held in South Kensington, London, on a site now occupied by the Natural History Museum. The buildings occupied 21 acres attracting about 6.1 million visitors.



Above the brick entrances of the "Industrial Buildings" on the east and west fronts were two great glass domes, each 150 feet wide and 260 feet high - at that time the largest domes ever built.



The exhibition was a showcase of the advances made in the industrial revolution , especially in the decade since the first Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. Among the items on display were; the electric telegraph, submarine cables, the first plastic, Parkesine , machine tools, looms and precision instruments.
The manufacture of ice by an early refrigerator caused a sensation.


The London and North Western Railway exhibited one of their express passenger locomotives, No. 531 Lady of the Lake which won a bronze medal at the exhibition and was so popular that the entire class of locomotive became known as Ladies of the Lake.


A brand new shining penny in 1862 would buy you a guide booklet.
A rare piece of ephemera, which I would like to own but that new penny today would be probably worth much more than the booklet.
I'll be on the lookout for either.

 

Outstanding presentations! Keep up the good work.

 

The British War Medal (campaign medal) of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War

 

1884-5 New Orleans
Industrial And Cotton Centennial Exposition

This medal/token is listed in "UNITED STATES TRADE TOKENS 1866-1889"
by Russell Rulau
Rulau # La-NO 52 1885 Brass 26mm and Plain Edge.





The 1884 World’s Fair was held in New Orleans, Louisiana.
At a time when nearly one third of all cotton produced in the United States was handled in New Orleans and the city was home to the “Cotton Exchange”, the idea for the fair was first advanced by the Cotton Planters Association.
The name “World Cotton Centennial” referred to the earliest-surviving record of export of a shipment of cotton from the U.S. to England in 1784.
It was also known as the “World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition”.

The U.S. Congress lent $1 million to the fair's directors and gave $300,000 for the construction of a large US Government & State Exhibits Hall on the site.
However, the planning and construction of the fair was marked by corruption and scandals, and state treasurer Edward A. Burke absconded abroad with some $ 1,777,000 dollars of state money including most of the fair's budget.

Despite such serious financial difficulties, the Fair succeeded in offering many attractions to visitors. It covered 249 acres, stretching from St. Charles Ave. to the Mississippi River, and was notable in that it could be entered directly by railway, steamboat, or ocean-going ship.



The main building enclosed 33 acres and was the largest roofed structure constructed up to that time. It was illuminated with 5,000 electric lights, still a novelty at the time, and said to be ten times the number that existed in New Orleans outside of the fairgrounds.



There was also a Horticultural Hall, an observation tower with electric elevators, and working examples of multiple designs of experimental electric street-cars.



The Mexican exhibit was particularly lavish and popular, constructed at a cost of $200,000, and featuring a huge brass band that was a great hit locally.



On December 16, 1884, U.S. President Chester Arthur opened the fair via telegraph. It closed on June 2, 1885. In an unsuccessful attempt to recover some of the financial losses from the Fair, the grounds and structures were reused for the “North Central & South American Exposition” from November 10, 1885, to March 31, 1886, with little success.
After this the structures were publicly auctioned off, most going only for their worth in scrap.

 

CALIFORNIA MIDWINTER EXPOSITION
1894 SAN FRANCISCO
So-Called Dollars



By opening day, $730,000 had been spent "without the gift of a single dollar from the nation, state or municipality." Ground broken Aug. 24, 1893; more than 100 buildings completed 6 months later.
Site, Center of Golden Gate Park; 200 acres cleared for purpose.
Held February 28 to July 9 1894 with attendance over 2,255,000. Palace of Fine Arts and Japanese Tea Garden were only permanent buildings but former replaced 1917 by de Young Museum; Tea Garden remains.
Many states, territories and foreign countries brought their exhibits from Columbian Exposition.
Opened in winter to "accentuate the climatic possibilities of California at the time of the severest low temperature in the eastern country."
Exposition emphasized agricultural, horticultural and mineral exhibits; many new varieties fruits and grains displayed for first time.
There are two medals long considered as "official" but actually there were no dollar-size piece so labeled by exposition. Many aluminum medals listed were struck in Mechanics Building on grounds.

Type I
HK-245
Type I is similar to II below but without Sun Rays on obverse, and seems to be less commonly found. You can see some other differences throughout the design.






Type II
HK-245a
Notice the rim "cud" at 10 o'clock on the obverse. I have seen others with the same rim cud.





I have been searching exposition tickets almost daily and often more than once a day since last year beginning around Columbus Day in October 2018.
I have never seen a ticket for this exposition for sale until this one became available and I bought it! I may never see another.

This ticket I have measures about 3 1/2" x 5".
The building on the front appears to be the Administration Building.



The buildings on the reverse appear to be the Fine Arts Building, the Agriculture and Horticulture Building, the Mechanical Arts Building, and the Manufacturers and Liberal Arts building.

 

1895 Cotton States and International Exposition
Atlanta Georgia



Designed and struck at U.S. Mint, Philadelphia. On the obverse, rays of fire under a bale of cotton representing desolation of crops resultant from Sherman's march to sea. Phoenix is rising from flames which is symbolic of the resurrection of industry. Henry W. Grady is on the reverse, who was the editor of The Atlanta Constitution. His writings and speeches helped reunite people of North and South after Civil War. This is HK-268 So-called dollar in Hibler and Kappen catalog.

 

1960's Crazy Horse Lucky Penny



This is one of those three inch "Lucky Penny" souvenirs that I have not encountered before.
I can't find another and it does not have a date but I suspect it could be from anytime during the 1960's to 1970's. If anyone knows more please let us know.

The Crazy Horse Memorial has been an ongoing project, making very slow progress since 1948.
If completed as designed, it would become the world's second tallest statue.
Government money has been turned down and it is entirely funded by those who visit and by private contributions.
Korczak Ziolkowski, Born September 6, 1908 - Died October 20, 1982 was the Polish-American designer and sculptor of the Crazy Horse Memorial. His wife took over the project after he died and his children and grandchildren are now in charge of the project.
The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain, on land considered sacred by some Oglala Lakota, between Custer and Hill City, roughly 17 miles from Mount Rushmore. It could be at least 30 to 40 years away when the sculpture is finished.



The sculpture's final dimensions are planned to be 641 feet long and 563 feet high.
The arm of Crazy Horse will be 263 feet long and his head 87 feet high.
The heads of the four U.S. Presidents at Mount Rushmore are each 60 feet high.
In 1998, the face of Crazy Horse was completed and dedicated.
Crazy Horse's eyes are 17 feet wide. The face was completed in 1998.



I'm always on the look-out for those little, usually scalloped inserts for the reverse. Many Lucky Pennies and Nickels had that design and those inserts fell off. I have a couple that are now generic and would like to epoxy the inserts into the areas on mine that have missing.
It is possible I can find beat up examples cheap and use those that still have the added on inserts. I think over time, the glue used to attach these deteriorated and this seems to be a common problem. Crazy Horse here still has the insert in place.

 

Just a simple little metal token, picked up for a song

Sun International Casinos 50c - (possibly from the Mauritius Casino)
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia142076.html

 

1969 Transcontinental Railroad
Heraldic Art Medal
.925 silver 33mm
so-called half dollar





Following the daring riders from the Pony Express and the construction of the transcontinental telegraph line in the late 1860s, two ferociously competing railroad lines, the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad, one building westward and the other eastward, opened up new territory to eager settlers.



The railroad opened for through traffic on May 10, 1869 when Central Pacific Railroad President Leland Stanford ceremonially drove the gold "Last Spike", often referred to as the "Golden Spike" with a silver hammer at Promontory Summit where Central Pacific's No. 60 "The Jupiter" Union and Pacific's No. 119 met in Box Elder County, Utah.





The coast-to-coast railroad connection revolutionized the settlement and economy of the American West. It brought the western states and territories into alignment with the northern Union states and made transporting passengers and goods coast-to-coast considerably quicker and less expensive.

"Heraldic Art Medals", were produced by Robert McNamara in his garage in Cleveland, Ohio between 1959 and 1978.
I think I have collected 41 different issues of these not counting duplicates.