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Original Feutchwanger cent design cast
Zoins
Posts: 33,863 ✭✭✭✭✭
I recently ran across this cast of a medal by John Milton (1759-1805) from the collection of Dr. William Blanding (1773-1857). Milton was a medalist that worked for The Royal Mint from 1787 to 1797. The cast copy had been in the Blanding family for 5 generations and was just sold by the Blanding Estate.
Anyone know more about this piece, either the original or the cast?
Here's the eBay auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1700-039-s-Milton-Eagle-plaque-Cast-copy-from-the-1800-039-s-Feuchtwanger-eagle-Rare-/302360953027
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That is really neat. Thank you for sharing !
I found two references to Milton's work described as "Eagle tearing a serpent" and "eagle and snake" from 1785 in T. Stainton's biography, "John Milton, Medallist, 1759-1805":
Nice piece... and I am surprised it did not go for more $$.... Cheers, RickO
I would have loved to have had that. If you know the owner and they want to sell it ...
Thank you @Zoins for posting the images.
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I saw this and followed it, but did not bid....ebay and all that. I guess I was just skeptical that it was what it purported to be. If it was in a Steve Hayden or a Presidential auction, I would likely have bid. As an avid collector of feuchtwanger 1-cent pieces, I would be interested in knowing more about it.
Tom
Of the top of my head this example looks funky as the ones that I have seen are more oval and larger.
Not something I would have touched as it could just as well be a pre patina aged cast center portion of belt buckle.
That's my gut feeling that someone ended up thinking they ripped this and paid almost $600 for part of a belt buckle.
The way the rims are rounded this was most likely in a chrome western rodeo type backing.
Zoins let me know how many you want for $600 each as I'll proceed to call western wear stores once I know?
Actually if you look on the back there's small circles with oxidation around them which might have been parts of the buckle removed.
The red shows former connected rounds and the yellow machining marks.
There's quite a few different type eagle & snake belt buckle designs out there.
Good catch Broadstruck! With a little boredom on Friday night, I thought I would browse around and see if the mystery could be unraveled a little. Apparently this Dr. Blanding was a character and was written about in several works. He died in 1857, same year of the FE. He drew a map of a gold mine, and other indian maps. He collected other things. It makes you wonder if it was a contemporary piece/buckle he just had and the story grew from there? Did it get in the "estate" at some point after his death in 1857? Did someone model a belt buckle on a Feuchtwanger cent?
It is too similar to not be related in some way to the 1837 token. Probably the correct scenario is that it is a belt buckle modeled on the token, and produced in the later half of the 19th century. Someone in the family added it and the story to the estate along the way.
Fun question to ponder - and even better one - where is the Milton piece and what does it look like?
It would be great to see some pics of the ones you have seen
It would also be great to see an original created by Milton.
Here is something I ran across which is also very interesting. The image used for this piece and the Feutchwanger could have been created in the 1600s!
The lower left corner in both of these says "P. Boel del." which as been used to attribute this to Pieter Boel (1626–1674): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_Boel
Here are two engravings. They are similar but each has an additional caption.
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/vulture-and-an-eagle-with-snake-print-maker-peeter-boel-peeter-boel-and-de-poilly.html
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/vulture-and-an-eagle-with-snake-grard-scotin-grard-scotin-i.html
Here's the signature in the lower left that says "P. Boel del."
Too Cool! The image history just got a little more interesting!
I wonder if I'm the first one to associate this Boel engraving with the Feutchwanger for the numismatic record? I'd be a bit surprised if I was but it would also be very cool
That would be very cool!
How about a live shot ...
Nice offer but while I'm interested in finding more like the Blanding piece, I'm even more interested in an original Milton for comparison. Even if the above was used as a buckle it could still be a Milton cast.
If you can find a Milton piece, please post pics here!
Though this isn't exactly the same, here's a belt buckle to get the search started!
I'm going to send an email to a collector who sold one or two earlier this year hoping he can send me his pics.
Good score Zions finding this ! my opinion is its exactly want is said to be !
I honestly can't understand this line of thinking. If you don't play you can never win. Plus once you get it in hand you can make your own determination as to whether to keep it for price paid or send it back. To forego even playing baffles me. To each their own though I guess.
I would like to hear Dan Carr's expert opinion on this !
@dcarr thoughts?
Go back further. The basic imagery goes back to the Greeks
Do you have an image of the Greek version?
Good photos. The basic imagery is indeed similar. Reminds me of comparing Barber coinage to Greek coinage!
Most u.s. coins had neo -classical imagery. The first truly American coin design was the buffalo nickel.
And most modern u.s. coins are again neo- classical despite the dead presidents.