112 / 169
H
110
Miscellaneous Tokens and Medals
SKYLAB 2 MEDALS, 1973.
11.5” Each. White Plaster. Adlai
S. Hardin, Sc. Extremely Fine and a few scattered but minor
chips, as expected. (1) View of the Skylab I craft with the names
of the crew below and SKYLAB 1 inscribed at bottom. (2) View
of astronaut outside of the space ship. SKYLAB 2 and the names
of crew below. (3) A 63mm bronze specimen of the Skylab 1
medal is also included in this lot.
Our consignor states that it is his understanding that these
handsome plasters came from the Estate of the sculptor Adlai
S. Hardin. However there is no authenticating material to
substantiate this opinion. (F-G)
459.
IMPRESSIVE TWO-PART MEDAL “LOOK AT THE
PEOPLE” BY FINNISH SCULPTOR KAUKO RÄSÄNEN,
1973.
80mm. Bronze. The medal is made in two parts, with
the interior images struck incuse and in relief, so that they fit
together. Total thickness of 39mm. Weight of 1340 grams.
(Kultateollisuus) Uncirculated. The iconography of this medal
has severely taxed this writers descriptive abilities. We have
decided to pretty much allow the images of the medal do this job,
except for observing that the medal seems to have an anti-war
theme. The exterior obverse is composed of three interlocking
women’s faces while the exterior reverse presents an abstract
woman’s face into which has been inserted (according to one
writer) the contours of a grenade. The interior obverse bears
the legend: LOOK AT A PERSON KATSO IHMISTA while the
interior reverse is inscribed BELFAST-LAOS-KAMBODSHA-
BERLIN AUSCHWITZ-VIETNAM-ISRAEL-PRAHA. An
intelligible description of the interior design defies our efforts.
The medal is illustrated in the book written by Josef Hackl
and Dietrich O. A. Klose: Kauko Räsänen, Neue Wege in der
Medaillenkunst; Staatliche Münzsammlung München, 2011,
picture No 41 on page 71. 346 copies are said to have been
struck of this medal. It was originally intended as a medal
commemorating Peace in Viet Nam, but after years of fruitless
peace negotiations, the client withdrew its order and Räsänen
financed the production himself.
Lot 459 (reduced)
Räsänen’s work is collected world-wide. He is renowned for
perfecting the two part medal which he first issued in 1970. He
was the first Finnish artist to received the American Numismatic
Society J. Sanford Saltus award for Outstanding Achievement in
the Art of the Medal (1986.) We note three eBay sales of this
medal in 2013 for $650, $1250 and $1450.00, but suspect that
today’s market is not quite up to that level. (H)
460.
THE MORGAN HORSE CLUB AWARD MEDAL, 1974.
Baxter 358 (Reverse only); Marqusee 173 var. 76.5mm.
Bronze. Laura Gardin Fraser, Sc. (MACO – NY) 76.7mm.
Silver Plated Bronze. Unc. Obverse: THE MORGAN HORSE
above view of the magnificent Morgan horse standing to left,
mountains in the background. Rx: Incused award inscription:
AMHA/ SADDLE SEAT/ 1974. Fraser’s original Morgan Horse
medal was executed in 1923 for the Morgan Horse Club and
had the word CLUB on the obverse following HORSE. (We
recently auctioned one of these medals for $414.00) Medallic
Art Company reissued this medal in 1972 without the word
CLUB. (F-G)
461.
NATIONAL
ACADEMY
OF
DESIGN
150
TH
ANNIVERSARY MEDAL, 1975.
Alexander 17 (but unlisted
Lot 461
Lot 460 (reduced)