WOWZER!!!!!!!!! Look at this medal I just won, HK-8.

keets

If you follow the link, go to the seller's pictures and click to get larger images. Remember, this is a 150 year old medal struck in white metal. Here's what Hibler/Kappen say about the design from this Type III---1854 Dollar from the first International Exposition held in the United States:

Obv. Female figure standing, facing to left, opening gates labeled Industry and Science; in left hand, palm branch and caduceus; near her right foot a lamb and near her left foot, a war helmet; below in border, microscopic "Pinches."

Rev. Edifice; above, around, Crystal Palace; below, around, Opened MDCCCIV.

For any New Yorkers tuned in, the location was the South side of 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues and the building, constructed chiefly of glass and iron was destroyed by fire on October 5th, 1858.

Al H.

PutTogether

Nice, very nice. I love reading your posts cause the stuff you are in to is offbeat and incredibly (and usually historically) neat.

tmot99

What are the words under the building in the reverse? The one on the right looks like "London". DO you know what this is referring to? Are these the names of the engraver/designer?

keets

i'm not certain what's to the left, probably designer initials, but to the right it is indeed London. the New York Crystal Palace was a smaller scale reproduction of the Crystal Palace in London which i believe is still standing today.

the exhibited machinery included the first passenger elevator and the first sewing machine. two interesting personalities involved in the organization were Horace Greeley and P.T. Barnum and two early visitors were President Franklin Pierce and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis.

al h.

tmot99

Thanks for the history lesson. I thought the first elevator was at the World's Columbian Expo (1893).

This is what makes the forum fun. The wealth of information.

Dabigkahuna

Keets,

Nice score!

There is a nice write up on Crystal Palace medals in this last issue of Numismatis. It gives a breif but interesting history of the exhibit.



Love that Diana Riggs also!





Larry
Dabigkahuna

LeeG

"Nice Grab" + very few known. How can you not like that!!!! Congrat's, Lee

keets

hey Larry

i got my copy about a week ago, i guess i ought to read it!!!!!

.............Tom

you might be thinking about the Ferris Wheel from the Columbian Expo. if you're interested in medals like this, there have been quite a few really, really tough and rare issues lately, stunners like this one that i had to walk away from because there's too much on my watch list. the surprising thing is that there are almost always rare medals available, but to find them in the superb grades as of late is absolutely great!!!!!

al h.

tmot99

I knew that the Ferris Wheel made its debut at WCE, but I was thinking that the Vertical Transit Company first started the elevator at WCE.

I've never gotten into the SCD which is surprising. Instead, I got into the elongateds that started at WCE and the tickets from WCE. I have been working on a US Type set of elongated coins from WCE. Those are hard to come by. There are only a few known gold pieces, very few half dollars, etc.

kranky

That's cool. I thought just what Dabigkahuna did - that article in the Numismatist that just came last week.

keets

i got around to looking at the article and they strangely omitted the linked medal from the article, maybe due to it's rarity they couldn't locate an example. good pictures of the structure. it must have been amazing even for New Yorkers. i was struck by the fact that the whole event managed to lose as much money as it did. in an ironic twist, the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition was the first such event that actually ended in the black, despite being held during one of the worst economic times in American history. i guess the masses were eager to lay down a few dollars to forget their cares for a few hours.

al h.

Outhaul

Actually, Al, the Crystal Palace in London was destroyed by fire in 1936. You can read about it here.

Cool find, though! Somehow you always manage to ferret out the unusual.

Cheers,

Bob

keets

hey Bob

i've been hearing that from my dad my whole life, mainly about my girlfriends!!!

al h.

RGL

5 to 20 pieces known, you have to like that rarity! Looks sweet...

FC57Coins

Great medal Al - looks like it's in superb condition too - I didn't know that there had been a crystal palace in the US - just the one in London. That's a neat period in history - congrats!

keets

rarity+beauty+grade=yippeeee!!!

i'm not much into currency, but the mid-1890's educational note series has always struck me. they're somehow reminescent of this obverse with Liberty/Science/Industry all tied together and brought to fruition in the American spirit. what wonders God has wrought.

does anyone have a picture of an Educational Note they can link or post??

al h.