Lot 773: Good Collection of Six International Exposition Medals, including a French bronze 1878 Paris medal by Jules-Clement Chaplain (1839-1909), the obverse with a bust of Ceres and the legend "Republique Francaise", the reverse with Nike and her attendant

Good Collection of Six International Exposition Medals, including a French bronze 1878 Paris medal by Jules-Clement Chaplain (1839-1909), the obverse with a bust of Ceres and the legend "Republique Francaise", the reverse with Nike and her attendant above Paris and identifying legend, the recipient's name "Raymond Gerard" with inset die, dia. 68 mm; a French silver 1878 Paris medal by Eugene-Andre Oudine (1810-1887), the obverse with a bust of Ceres with Concord diadem and the legend "Republique Francaise", the obverse with presentation inscription from the Ministry of Public Instruction and engraved recipient's name "M.elle Besson", dia. 50 mm; a French bronze 1900 Paris medal by Georges-Henri Lemaire (1853-1914), the obverse with a seated Cybele and identifying legend, the obverse with implements of industry (anvil, telegraph line, camera, dirigible, etc.) and void cartouche, dia. 53 mm; a French bronze 1904 St. Louis medal after Alexis-Joseph DePaulis (1792-1867), the obverse with allegorical figures of the Continents at the Altar of Friendship, the reverse with legend "St. Louis/1904/America Welcomes the World", dia. 51 mm; an American bronze 1904 St. Louis medal by Adolph Alexander Weinmann (1870-1952), the obverse with allegorical figures of Columbia bringing Louisiana into her Embrace, with identifying legend, the reverse with an eagle and two dolphins and the legend "Bronze Medal/Louisiana Purchase/Exposition", dia. 65 mm; and an Italian bronze 1911 Torino medal by Pietro Canonica (1869-1959), the obverse with a winged horse and rider carrying the banner "Italia" and identifying legend, the reverse with laurel wreath, dia. 40 mm, the French medals all touchmarked on the edge with the "cornucopia" medal mark in use from 1880. Note: The American medal is one of 10,000 officially authorized bronze medals struck by the U.S. mint in Philadelphia for the St. Louis 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Designed by A. A. Weinmann (who also designed the walking Liberty half dollar and the Mercury dime), the medal is rich in allegorical detail. Note, for instance, the finely engraved Napoleonic bees in the cloak of Louisiana as she casts it off to be wrapped in the American stars of Columbia's cloak, or the two dolphins on the reverse, symbolic of America's trans-oceanic boundaries.