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This is one of the most splendid and renowned equestrian portrait coins of the Renaissance. It belongs to a new wave of large silver coins prompted by the discovery of new mines in the Tyrol and Saxony in the late 15th century. Yet even by current standards this new piece was more massive and impressive than anything that had gone before. Maximilian is shown in full ceremonial armour, with an imperial crown on his helmet and carrying the imperial banner. The horse, also in full dress armour, has plumes on his head and is draped with an ornate mantle richly decorated with symbols of the Empire and the House of Burgundy. The Krönungsdoppelguldiner was first produced in 1508-9 to mark the coronation of Maximilian I as Emperor. It was struck at Hall, in the Tyrol, in very small numbers as imperial presentation pieces. Only two Obv dies and one Rev were used, engraved by the court engraver Ulrich Ursentaler. The first Obv die carries no date, but the second, used for this coin, has 1509. In 1517 the dies were taken from Austria to the mint of Antwerp where they were used again with a rosette added before the horse. This specimen belongs to the 1517 issue. All three issues are very rare and highly prized.
Maker(s)
Mint:
Antwerp
Ruler:
Maximilian I (1493-1514)
Penny
Maker(s)
Ruler:
Edward the Elder (899-924)
Moneyer:
Si(ge)god
Mint:
London
(Uncertain)
Production place:
Wessex
(Possible)
One of three Finnish medals: Edelfelt was one of Finland's most successful painters and his untimely death in 1905 caused much grief. The sculptor Ville Vallgren was also well known around 1900, and he is still remembered as a legendary bohemian. Both lived much of their lives in Paris. Vallgren made a number of medals, most of which are somewhat indifferent. The medal commemorating his old friend Edelfelt is an exception: it is surely one of the best Finnish medals of the early 20th century. On Vallgren see Forrer, Dictionary, VI, pp. 18890.
Maker(s)
Maker: Vallgren, Ville
One of two Finnish medals: Taisto Ahtola (1917-2000) was a painter, the director of Hämeenlinna Art Museum and a titular professor. The portrayal as Pan with a cigar and pot-belly apparently refer to his being a bon vivant, while the nudity perhaps reflects the tradition of the Finnish sauna.
Maker(s)
Maker: Heino, Raimo
One of three twentieth-century medals: This, the first and one of the finest portrait medals of Churchill, was commissioned by Hodder & Stoughton to serve as an illustration for the jacket of a book: Philip Guedalla, Mr Churchill A Portrait (1941). A copy of the book accompanies the medal.
Maker(s)
Maker: Kormis, Fred
