Medals & Tokens - Coin Auctions
Lot 0208a - Medals & Tokens Religious, Biblical Medals & Tokens - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleUS: bronze Chanukah Gelt, "100 Pruta" coin, 1949; size: 28.5mm; weight: 7.9g. Design is virtually identical to the actual Israeli period piece: on obverse the additional legend reads "Chanukkah Gelt - R.S.K.S.". This was a token issued by the Rabbi Solomon Kluger School as a gift to students, to be used as play-money in games using the Chanukka 'dreidel'. The school is an Orthodox day school in Manhattan (founded 1924), named after the European talmudist and scholar, Rabbi Solomon ben Judah Aaron Kluger ( 1785-1869) who served as the Chief Rabbi of Brody, in Galicia. Ref: The Shekel, Mar-Apr 1976, p. 28-29. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Religious, Biblical Medals & Tokens |
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Lot 0224a - Medals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleGermany > Silesia: Hängender Kornjude "Hanging Corn Jew" medal, 1694-1695, struck in copper, by Christian Wermuth; size: 34.5mm; weight: 14.2g. Obv.: Jew hanging from tree with Devil on his head, peasant's house w/nest on roof & "LUC 12" in doorway; leg. "Du Korn Iude•" ('You Corn Jew'); 2-lines in exergue "Wolfeilezeit 1695•" ('Cheap Times'). Rev.: Jew facing right w/Devil on his sack; Ger. leg. "Du Korn Iude." & "Theure Zeit.1694." ('Expensive Times'). In BU, w/luster; Brettauer-1902, JM-111, P.u.R. 79, Feill-2721. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals |
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Lot 0235a - Medals & Tokens Synagogue Medals - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleNetherlands: cast silver spoon commemorating 250th Anniversary of Portuguese -Jewish Synagogue, 1925; by E.L. Molenberg & Zoon (Groningen); size: 37.75 x 123mm; weight: 17.45g. On finial 'eagle protecting brood' as per design on the Synagogue; relief image of building on spoon base; leg. above "KKTT 5435" ='Kahal Kadosh Talmud Torah 1675' (Sacred Assembly Students of the Torah, 1925) & below "Portug[ees] -Israel[itische] Synagoge Amsterdam" (maker mark above). Community est. 1639 when 3 Spanishe communities merged to form "Talmud Torah" Portuguese Jewish Community of Amsterdam. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Synagogue Medals |
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Lot 0203a - Medals & Tokens Religious, Biblical Medals & Tokens - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleItaly: Jesus medal in copper, c. 16th C.; not maker-marked; size: 28.5mm; weight: 10.75g. Obv.: left facing Christ, with Hebrew initial "Alef" (for 'Adoneinu' - 'Our Lord') & "Yeshu" ('Jesus') on either side. Rev.: 5-line Heb. legend (w/incorrect letters) as per Hill p.50 ex. 2b: משיח # מלך באבש # לום ואדמא # רם עשוי # חי, with 'Mashiach' spelled with 'Yud' under the letter 'Khet'. Portrait of Christ said to be of Venetian School; medal issued in 16th Century to Jewish converts to Christianity - made in 3 different sizes. A similar medal (32mm size) to this one was sold at auction (2009) for $3500; GJPM-20. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Religious, Biblical Medals & Tokens |
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Lot 0219a - Medals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleGermany > Gotha: 'Cuckold Medal' ("Hahnrei medaille") w/ 'Feather Jew' motif (ND), c. 1700, by Christian Wermuth; cast in white metal (silver?); size: 31mm; weight: 10.3g. Obv.: antlered Jew riding large cock, 5 smaller roosters in background; legend around: "WER KEINER I ST DER KAN NOCH EINER # WER DEN" ['Where no-one can become someone']. Rev.: decorated open chest on tiled floor w/ pair of antlers from behind; double-ringed legend: "DIE LADE FVHRT DIE GRÖSTE ZVNFFT AVF ERDEN # VM MANCHEN IST ES EWIG SCHADE" ['The clouds drove the guild off the ground, To some it is eternal pity']; 4 line legend on box: "DAS ER KÖMT # IN DIE # HAHNREY # LADE". Not documented in any research works on Jewish medals, it most closely resembles the anti-Semitic/satiric "feather Jew" medals which played on the alleged sexual-financial prowess of Jews during times of famine. In EF-AU with traces of luster; Fieweger-133, Feill-3431. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals |
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Lot 0214a - Medals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleGermany > Bavaria > Fürth: Kornjude "Pricelist" jeton variant, 1772, by Johann Christian Reich; struck in pewter(?); size: 29mm; weight: 7.1g; medallic strike. Obv.: Jewish grain peddler facing right, w/ goat (not devil) on sack, to open jaws of alligator; legend: "Korn Iud (sic) Ver Zweifel [no period] U. Geh Zum" ['The Corn Jew Branches out and Goes Forth']; in exergue: "Theure Zeit 1772" ['Expensive Times 1772']. Rev.: 11-line pricelist of food items for year 1771 with bar above Reich's name. Obv. similar to Friedenberg JM-117; rev. unlike Kirschner #23/ Brett-1909; identical to Kuenker 143 #1897 (but Fieg-89 ref. not precise). In VF+. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals |
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Lot 0230a - Medals & Tokens Synagogue Medals - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleGermany > Bavaria: silver medal for cornerstone-laying of 1st public Synagogue, Munich, 1824; size: 2.65cm; weight: 5.4g. Obv.: 4-line etched Heb. leg. "In the Benevolence of the King Show Respect # Who Lays the Foundation Stone ["Even [Ha]Shtiya", ref. "Holy of Holies" foundation stone, Great Temple] # For the Synagogue ['BH"K'] in Munich, the Capital # Day 2 of the Week [Monday] Start of New Month of Av 5584 [26 July 1824]". Rev.: right-facing King; Ger. leg. "Maximilian Ioseph König von Baiern" & medallist's initial "L.". Recorded history of Jews in Munich dates to 1229; first public Synagogue was only permitted to be est. in 1824. When it opened (on Westenriederstrasse, designed by Jean Baptiste Metivier; destroyed on Kristallnacht) in 1826, Bavaria was under the reign of King Ludwig I & Queen Therese (who attended the ceremony), but the community honored King's predecessor on a medal (fetched €9000 at auction, 2014) by Jewish medallist J. W. Lowenbach, which read "Built During the Glorious Reign of His Highness, Max. Joseph I, now Deceased". Portrait side of the present medal is attributed to Joseph Lösch (Bavarian court medalist), whose other portrait medals are identical to this one, & who used the inital "L." on some of his works (Forrer v. 3 p.252); Lowenbach began career around 1824 and may have etched the flawless Hebrew dedication. Rare: medallic commemorations of Synagogue stone-laying events are almost unique. Unusual: occurred bet. Fasts 17 Tammuz & 9th Av, “3 Weeks” during which Jewish custom forbids building new structures, even on the start of Av - except in the cases like Synagogues where this is actually a Mitzvah + permitted.
Deutschland > Bayern: Silbermedaille für Grundsteinlegung der 1. öffentlichen Synagoge, München, 1824; Größe: 2,65cm; Gewicht: 5,4g. Vorderseite: 4-zeilige geätzte Beschriftung, Heb. "Im Wohlwollen des Königs zeigen Sie Respekt # Wer legt den Grundstein ["Even [Ha] Shtiya", Ref. Grundstein "Allerheiligste", großer Tempel] # Für die Synagoge ['BH "K'] in München, der Hauptstadt # 2. Tag der Woche [Montag] Start neues Monats Av 5584 [26. Juli 1824]". Rücks.: nach r. zeigender König; Beschriftung, Deutsch: "Maximilian Joseph König v. Bayern" & Initial des Medaillenherstellers "L." Aufgezeichnete Geschichte der Juden in München geht auf 1229; erste öffentliche Synagoge durfte nur in 1824 gegründet werden. Beim Öffnen (auf der Westenriederstrasse; zerstört während d. Kristallnacht) 1826, war Bayern unter Herrschaft v. König Ludwig I & Königin Therese (die in d. Zeremonie teilnahmen), aber Beschriftung auf Medaille v. jüdischen Medaillenhersteller J. W. Löwenbach nennt v. Gemeinde geehrten Königs Vorgänger & lautet "Erbaut während der herrlichen Herrschaft v. seiner Hoheit, Max. Joseph I, inzwischen verstorbenen". Porträtseite der anwesenden Medaille wird Joseph Lösch (Bayerischen Hof-Medaillenmeister) zugeschrieben, wer den ersten "L." auf einigen seiner Werke verwendete (Forrer Bd. 3, S. 252); Löwenbach begann die Karriere um 1824 & hat möglicherweise die einwandfreie hebräische Widmung geätzt. Selten: zeitgenössische Gedenkfeiern zu Ereignissen v. Grundsteinlegung- d. Synagoge sind fast einzigartig. Ungewöhnliche Gelegenheit: wurde zwischen Fasten v. 17. Tammuz u. 9. Av aufgetreten, der "3 Wochen", wenn jüdischer Brauch den Bau v. neuen Bauwerken, zum Beginn v. Av, verbietet - außer in den Fällen von Bauwerken, die der Öffentlichkeit dienen (wie Synagogen), wo dies tatsächlich Mitzwah ist, u. dies ist erlaubt. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Synagogue Medals |
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Lot 0209a - Medals & Tokens Religious, Biblical Medals & Tokens - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleUS: Chabad-Lubavitch "Messiah" homage silver(?) medal to Rebbe Schneerson, ND (circa. 1992); not maker-marked; size: 39.5mm; weight: 26.4g. Obverse bears image of the Hassidic movement's headquarters on 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn; legend on obv. and rev. are in praise of the Rebbe and extoll him as the Messiah. Probably issued to commemorate the Rebbe's (1902- 1994) 90th birthday; towards the end of his life segments of the Chassidic movement he led openly declared him to be the Messiah, although the movement as a whole distances itself from saying such in public. In BU. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Religious, Biblical Medals & Tokens |
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Lot 0225a - Medals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleGermany > Silesia: 'Hanging Corn Jew' (Hängender Kornjude) medal, 1694-1695, rare variant struck in lead, by Christian Wermuth; size: 34mm; weight: 22.35g. Obv.: Jew hanging from a tree w/ Devil on his head, peasant's house w/ nest on roof; leg. "LUC 12" in doorway + "Du Korn Iude•" ['You Corn Jew'' above; in exergue 2-line leg.: "Wolfeilezeit 1695•" ['Cheap Times']. Rev.: walking Jew facing right w/ Devil on his grain sack; legend above: "Du Korn Iude." + "Theure Zeit.1694." ['Expensive Times'] below. Brettauer-1902, JM-111 & P.u.R. 79. Poor detail may be due to weak die strike. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Satirical & anti-Semitic Medals |
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Lot 0236a - Medals & Tokens Synagogue Medals - Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleNetherlands: numbered (167) 25th Anniv. Numismatic Society of Zeeland/ Synagogue of Middelburg, 1993, silvered cast bronze(?) medal; by Fibru of Brussels; size: 68mm; weight: 98.15g. Obv.: Zeeland coat of arms; initials below, "NKZ 68-93" ("Numismatische Kring Zeeland" + silver jubilee dates); house w/letter C & number 92, below (artist's mark?). Rev.: renovation of Middelburg Synagogue; Heb. leg. (Isaiah c.60 v.10) "And aliens [non-Jews] will build up thy walls". Assembled from 2 planchets. This was 1st Dutch Synagogue built outside Amsterdam (1705); damaged in 1944; restored 1994. NSZ based in Middelburg. Historama SIGNIFICANT JUDAICA Mailbid SaleMedals & Tokens Synagogue Medals |