Belated first buy of 2017--the Four Horseman

Stork

I don't usually buy too many holed medals (there are so many cool ones without holes after all) but this one was irresistible, and inexpensive. It's also my first official purchase of 2017, and after my Heritage/Stacks escapades is likely to be my only medal for awhile (not counting a couple still in transit).

The engraver is a noted Belgian sculptor who died in 1935, Josue Dupon. Animals and horses seem to be a bit of a specialty for him. Lots of neat imagery in this one.

Haven't found much about it yet from my quick Google-Fu. The hole looks, sadly, a bit more recent. Fresh looking metal and threaded like for a screw. Oh well, it's probably the only reason it was affordable.

harasha

I collected Dupon medals for awhile. I purchased an example of this one, off of eBay, back on June 26, 2008. In fairly decent shape, I picked it up for $89.

STLNATS

Here's another on ebay now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TUTI-QUOS-SERVAT-MEDAGLIA-JOSUE-DUPON-CARRO-DELLA-MORTE-1933-APOCALISSE-/351958702489?hash=item51f25f9999:g:uqgAAOSwtnpXlk7M

Interesting if a bit odd and presumably religiously themed medal whose title literally translates as "Religion and Humanity or the Apocalypse." The side with what I assume is the hand of God holding two infants has the inscription "keeps them safe" seems to be a contrast with the other side's "thus passes the glory of the world" legend beneath the corpse. With the 4 horsemen cutting down the other figures I assume that represents the Apocalypse.

Will be interested to see what else you find out about this one.

edited to add: a little more from Hedley Betts:
http://www.mcssl.com/store/8596432/dupon-la-religion-et-lhumanit-ou-lapocalype

and one last bit, more coherent than my literal translations:

Documented in Aperçu de la Médaille en Belgique dans la première moitié du XXe siècle (Arsène Réginald Buchet, Jacques Toussaint), Nr. 61.

Obverse:
During live, the hand of God supporting two infants and protecting them from a serpent. Text: TUTI QUOS SERVAT (Ils sont en sécurité, ceux qu'll garde / They are save, those who are guarded).

Reverse:
After death, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse: victory, war, judgment and death. Text: AD VITAM AETERNAM (À la vie éternelle / To eternal life) and SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI (Ainsi passe la gloire du monde / Thus passes the glory of the world).

Stork

Well, shoot. Turns out I only found this one under my 'horse' or 'baby' search parameter. I didn't have Dupon on my engraver list! That will be fixed now. Somehow the name Dupon had slipped under my radar (or been accidentally deleted). And autocorrect is desperately trying to change that to DuPont. NOT helpful autocorrect!

My standing searches are either topical (horse, child, baby, medicine, maternity, deco etc) or by name (Turin, Damman, Vernon, Rasanen etc). Thank goodness for the Boolean type searches eBay allows or my search list would be hundreds long.

This is one of the reasons I love medals so much. A decade later something common still looks brand new.

Reason #2 is that signs of rough handling are a lot less bothersome. If it was a coin I'd be unhappy that I spent $35 on a coin with a hole if they were available for $85 without. This doesn't bother me a bit. I'm glad to have it on the cheap side.

And #3, the imagery and stories they have to tell are almost always way more fascinating than mere coins. I love coins, but medals are my quiet addiction.

Thanks for the links, super helpful!

harasha

Considering your last post, Stork, you clearly are a person after my own heart!