102013 | FRANCE. Cathedral of the Holy Cross of Orléans bronze Medal.

Issued 1829. Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the liberation of Orléans by Saint Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) (63mm, 89.70 g, 12h). By A. A. Caqué. ACHEVEMENT DE Ste CROIX, frontal view of the cathedral, from a vantage point just to the right of center; in two lines in exergue, LA PROCESSION DE LA PUCELLE SORT / PAR LE PORTAIL / A / LA MÉMOIRE / DE JEANNE D'ARC / 400 ANS / APRÈS LA DÉLIVERANCE / D'ORLÉANS / Vme ANNÉE DU REGNE / DE / CHARLES X in nine lines; all within garlanded oak wreath. Edge: Plain. Gem Mint State. Charming olive-brown surfaces, with a pleasing glossy brilliance in the fields. Quite scarce and fairly impressive. $295.

A popular heroine from the latter years of the Hundred Years' War, Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) served as a rallying figure on the French side, factoring in breaking the siege of Orléans and helping to see Charles VII crowned as king in France. A very influential spiritual leader, she was captured just a few years later, whereupon she was handed over to the English, tried as a heretic, and burned at the stake. The Roman Catholic Church posthumously overturned her conviction, elevating her to a saint in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. This medal features the Cathedral of the Holy Cross of Orléans, issued 400 years after her arrival in the city to aid in the siege's lifting.

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102013 | FRANCE. Cathedral of the Holy Cross of Orléans bronze Medal.(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102013)

101907 | FRANCE. Empress Eugénie/Palace of Industry tin Medal.

Issued 1855 for the international exposition in Paris (50mm, 43.73 g, 12h). By A. A. Caqué for Massonnet. EUGÉNIE IMPÉRATRICE, head left / PALAIS DE L'INDUSTRIE, façade of the Palace of Industry; in five lines in exergue, MÉDAILLES DE L'EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE / FRAPPÈES DANS LE PALAIS DE L'INDUSTRIE / AU MOYEN D'UNE PRESSE MONÉTAIRE / DE LA MAISON CAIL & Cie / PARIS 1855. Edge: Plain. Choice Mint State. Deeper charcoal gray surfaces, with a good deal of alluring iridescence and underlying brilliance; great pull away effect to the peripheral toning. Ex Elsen 96 (14 June 2008), lot 1905 (part of). Ex Collection of Félix Bonnet, 1872. $245.

Visited by over five million attendees, the Paris expo in 1855 was focused upon agriculture, industry, and the arts. Of note, Napoleon III, still somewhat new as Emperor of the French at the time of the expo, called for a classification of France's best Bordeaux, whereby they would be ranked by the reputation of the producing château and trading price of the wine-aspects which don't exactly comport today.

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101907 | FRANCE. Empress Eugénie/Palace of Industry tin Medal.(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/101907)

102014 | GREAT BRITAIN. Westminster Abbey bronze Medal.

Issued 1855. Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe series (59mm, 94.72 g, 12h). By J. Wiener in Brussels & Elkington and Co., and struck at the Geerts mint in Ixelles. WESTMINSTER ABBEY, exterior view of the abbey building from the west-northwest / Interior view of the Henry VII chapel from just to the right of the center aisle centerline looking toward the altar; in three lines in exergue, ST. PETER'S CHURCH FOUNDED ABOUT 612 / REBUILT AND ERECTED AN ABBEY / 958 AND 1049-1066; in four lines to left, THE PRESENT CHURCH CONSTRUCTED / 1220-1285 / RESTORED END OF THE / XVII CENTURY; in four lines to right, WESTMINSTER HALL BUILT 1397 / THE CHAPEL OF HENRY VII / COMMENCED 1503 / RESTORED 1809. Edge: Plain. Ross M189; van Hoydonck 142; Reinecke 35; Taylor 8b; BHM 2592; Eimer 1506. Choice Mint State. Rich red-brown surfaces, with a great glossy nature and only a few light marks; a few spots of minor corrosion on the obverse are noted for completeness, but not distracting Undoubtedly one of the most attractive and intricate-if not the most intricate-medals in this ambitious series. Compare to a similar example, though far less lustrous, in Stack's Coin Galleries 18 August 2009 auction, lot 6104 (which realized a hammer of $425 [plus buyer's fee]). $575.

From what is today eastern Netherlands and western Germany, the Wieners were a Jewish family of exceptional medalists, especially known for numerous numismatic works throughout the Kingdom of Belgium. Eldest brother Jacob, along with younger brothers Leopold and Charles, created some of the finest works of medallic art of the 19th century, and all are particularly noted for their work in the highly detailed and intricate work of architectural renderings.

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102014 | GREAT BRITAIN. Westminster Abbey bronze Medal.(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102014)

101959 | ITALY. Interment of King Vittorio Emanuele II in the Pantheon bronze Medal.

Issued 1878 (68mm, 139.20 g, 12h). By F. Speranza. VITTORIO EMANUELE II RE D'ITALIA, head right, wearing oak wreath / L'OPERA A CUI CONSACRAMMO LA NOSTRA VITA È COMPIUTA, frontal view of the Pantheon; in two lines in exergue, XVII GENNAIO / MDCCCLXXVIII. Edge: Plain. Forrer V, 599. Mint State details. Orange-brown surfaces, with a good deal of brilliance, though some minor spots of corrosion are noted on the reverse. $375.

Vittorio Emanuele II served as the first king of a unified Italy, hailing from Sardegna (Sardinia) and taking advantage of surging nationalism throughout Europe in the mid-19th century. He was crowned as the King of Italy in 1861, with the Papal States remaining as an outlier in the central portion of the peninsula and, most notably, the city of Rome. Following the capture of Rome in 1870, the unification was territorially complete, with a standoff between the kingdom and the papacy over the status of the Holy See lasting another six decades. Upon his death in 1878 (coincidentally, the same year as his ruling colleague, Pope Pius IX), he was buried in the Pantheon in Rome-the ancient edifice constructed during the reigns of Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian. The Pantheon was intended to be the final resting place of all Kings of Italy from the House of Savoy, and includes Vittorio Emanuele's son and successor, Umberto I, but does not house the remains of subsequent kings, Vittorio Emanueele III and Umberto II, as they died in exile, and the Republican government has blocked their interment there.

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101959 | ITALY. Vittorio Emanuele II Burial in the Pantheon bronze Medal.(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/101959)

102093 | UNITED STATES. "Island Mansion" silver Love Token

(24mm, 5.55 g, 12h). 1856 Philadelphia, New Orleans, or San Francisco mint Seated Liberty quarter, with engraving upon host coin's reverse: Isolated mansion, with central tower and various wings at different levels, placed upon island; stonebridge in foreground; hills in background; sailboats upon the water, birds in the sky. Edge: Reeded; loop attached at the top. KM A64.2 (for host coin). Engraving: About Uncirculated. Host Coin: Choice Very Fine. Lightly toned. Extremely well refined engraving, with enchanting depth; the manner in which the light reflects from the windows gives the appearance of lights being on within the mansion itself. $325.

This piece opts for a rather elegant and impressive architectural depiction set alone upon an island rather than employing any of the more commonly-encountered monograms.

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102093 | UNITED STATES. "Island Mansion" silver Love Token.(https://www.numismagram.com/product-page/102093)