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BOLIVIA, oval silver medal, no date (post-1852), Potosí, unique mule of Bolívar/Pichincha and Athena

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Exonumia - Medals Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:3,500.00 - 7,000.00 USD
BOLIVIA, oval silver medal, no date (post-1852), Potosí, unique mule of Bolívar/Pichincha and Athena
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BOLIVIA, oval silver medal, no date (post-1852), Potosí, unique mule of Bolívar/Pichincha and Athena types, NGC MS 61. Fonrobert-8330 / 9431. 42 x 34 mm. Obverse with Bolívar in front of the Cerro de Potosí inside legend PREMIO ALA / APLICACION• with POTOSI below; reverse with seated Athena inside legend ESPRESE EL SENTIMIETO [sic] DE MI PATRIA •; gorgeous rainbow toning over lustrous surfaces, practically no marks, faint hairlines, minimal flattening on high points. The obverse die is similar to that of the medal dedicated to Liberator Simón Bolívar, minted on November 6, 1826, by Chief Engraver Pedro Benavides. A total of 200 single-sided pieces were struck as a School Award for the Pichincha College, established in the city of Potosí (RTB 8). The reverse die was engraved in 1852 by José Espada, Second Official Engraver of the Potosí Mint. It features a striking depiction of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, seated with an outstretched right hand in a crowning gesture. The design closely resembles that of the 1810 Napoleonic medal engraved by Jean Bertrand Andrieu. However, Espada’s version uniquely incorporates an owl—a classical symbol of wisdom—within the central composition. His initials, “J.E.,” are inscribed at the base of the pedestal. Numerous rare and previously undocumented mule medal variants exist, some with uncertain minting dates. However, what remains indisputable is that all mule medals originated from the Potosí Mint. A similar mule medal was featured in the Derman Collection, Cayón Lot 654, along with other medals bearing the same reverse. This specimen may represent the fourth known variant and is possibly unique in its type. Collaborative assistance from Raúl Ernesto Tapia Bascopé, author of Medallas Monetarias y Conmemorativas de Bolivia 1825-1925 (2016, La Paz, Bolivia).
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