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GOETZ: Opus 9 Bismarck

K-9 “PRINCE OTTO VON BISMARCK”,1908, Cast AE, 81.2mm. Commemorative, head left.

Inscription on the reverse: “Eternal glory to the greatest son of the Empire. The Vahalla.”

With the exception of the unfortunate pooling stains of the applied patina on the head, this is a very finely cast example of this medal. Note how clean it is, to the point that it actually appears to have been struck

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Comments

  • laurentyvanlaurentyvan Posts: 4,243 ✭✭✭
    Beautiful piece on one of history's fascinating figures. If I may be permitted:

    Prince Otto von Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg (April 1, 1815 – July 30, 1898) was one of the most prominent leaders of the 19th century;

    Under the guise of idealism giving way to realism, German nationalism rapidly shifted from its liberal and democratic character in 1848 to Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck's authoritarian Realpolitik.Realpolitik (German for "politics of reality") is foreign politics based on practical concerns rather than theory or ethics.

    Realpolitik in many cases has been for the advancement of the national interests of a country over ethical or principled concerns.

    One of the most famous proponents was Niccolò Machiavelli, best known for his Il Principe (The Prince). Machiavelli held that the sole aim of a prince was to seek power, regardless of religious or ethical considerations. The ancient Greek historian Thucydides, who wrote the History of the Peloponnesian War, is also cited as an intellectual forebearer of realpolitik.

    Bismarck wanted unification to achieve his aim of a conservative, Prussian-dominated German state. He succeeded through three military successes:

    He first allied with Austria in order to defeat Denmark in a short war fought during 1864, thus acquiring Schleswig-Holstein.
    In 1866, in concert with Italy, he attacked and defeated Austria in the Battle of Königgratz, which, in the same year, allowed him to exclude long-time rival Austria when forming the North German Confederation with the states that had supported Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War. The Confederation was the direct precursor to the 1871 Empire.
    Finally, France was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1); the Confederation was transformed into the Empire with the crowning of Prussian King Wilhelm I as German Emperor at the Palace of Versailles, to the humiliation of the French.
    One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics
    is that you end up being governed by inferiors. – Plato
  • cosmicdebriscosmicdebris Posts: 12,332 ✭✭✭
    Another gorgeous example!
    Bill

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    09/07/2006
  • cachemancacheman Posts: 3,118 ✭✭✭
    Thanks Laurent, I have an ever growing library of German history books but not the time to read much of them. I am hoping that once winter sets in I'll be able to do some homework...I never thought I'd say I was looking forward to winter but I am as this is catch-up time in the collection and research realms for me...image
  • oldshepoldshep Posts: 3,240
    All I can say is WOW - again. I am getting very boring in my replies I know but I really enjoy looking at them.
    Shep
    image
  • cachemancacheman Posts: 3,118 ✭✭✭
    "WOW" is acceptable shep....thank you, it's just nice to know that people are taking a look. After this, and the next flurry of medals over the several weeks, I'll get the web gallery updated for ease of viewing. I really need to get some work done on that this winter too...at a minimum, I need a home page with links for medals, trials, and patterns pages...
  • AuldFartteAuldFartte Posts: 4,597 ✭✭✭✭
    That's incredible detail for a cast piece image
    image

    My OmniCoin Collection
    My BankNoteBank Collection
    Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
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