LOT #47568 |
Sold on Nov 18, 2009 for: Not Sold
Nineteenth Century Airship Medals: Lot of Six.... (Total: 6 Items)
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Description
Nineteenth Century Airship Medals: Lot of Six. Included are four 50mm medals, souvenirs of Henry Giffard giant captive balloon from the 1878 Paris Exposition. Giffard had designed the balloon to carry 52 passengers so it may well be that these souvenir medals were given to those intrepid souls who went for an ascent. One of the examples is engraved with a woman's name and dated November 5. The obverse of each medal shows Giffard's balloon over the Paris skyline with the caption "Panorama de Paris 1878"; the obverse is captioned "Souvenir de Mon. Ascension Dans le Grand Ballon Captif a Vapeur de Mr. Henry Giffard". Also included is a 34mm medal commemorating "The Great Airship" over New York City and a 50mm medal commemorating various balloon flights in 1783. The obverse reads: "AUDACIA-FELIX" (Fortune favors audacity). Below the balloon, the legend "AERA PERMEARUNT XXI NOV. L. F. DARLANDES ET F. PILATRE. I. DEC. J. A. C. CHARLES ET M. N. ROBERT ANNO MDCCLXXXIII" ( On the 21st of November, L. F. D'Arlandes and F. Pilatre; on the 1st of December J.A.C. Charles and M.N. Robert, in the year 1783, navigated the air). The reverse reads: "PATEFACTO PER AERA ITINERE A. JOSEPHO ET STEPHANO MONTGOLFIER V. JUNII MDCCLXXXIII REI MEMORIAM POSTERITATI TRADI JUSSIT LUDOVICUS XVI. ANNO MDCCLXXXIII" (Struck in commemoration of the aerial journey of Joseph and Stephan Montgolfier on the 5th of June 1783, as a remembrance to posterity by order of Louis XVI). All examples are in excellent condition.Auction Info
2009 November Grand Format Americana Auction #6032 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
November, 2009
17th-18th
Tuesday-Wednesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 0
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,166
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
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