102948 | UNITED STATES & SPAIN. Christopher Columbus bronze Medal.

102948  |  UNITED STATES & SPAIN. Christopher Columbus bronze Medal. Issued 1892 for the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America (70mm, 122.99 g, 12h). By Ludwig Christian Lauer in Nürnberg.

 

CRISTÓBAL COLON 12 DE OCTUBRE DE 1492, robed bust left, with back facing // SU GENIO VISLUMBRÓ UN MUNDO SU ARROJO HEROICO LE DESCUBRIÓ (his genius glimpsed a new world, while his heroic courage discovered it), crowned and robed seminude female personification of Spain, holding scepter and cradling wreath, seated slightly right upon globe focused upon the Western Hemisphere; in background to left, tablet inscribed RECUERDO / DEL / 4º CENT in three lines; in background to right, ship under sail right. Edge: Minor bruise near 8h on the reverse, otherwise plain.

 

Eglit 100; Starlust ST-eg-100br; Rulau B3. Mint State. Glossy red-brown surfaces, though some lightly scattered spots and stains are noted. A scarce and imposing piece, the obverse for which served as the basis for many smaller "so-called dollar" types.

 

During the lead-up to the quadricentennial of Columbus's initial contact with the New World, numerous medals were designed and struck, both in the United States—in conjunction with the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago—and abroad, sometimes for this event or for similar others. Known as the "Lauer la vista" medal on account of the German-based Lauer firm that produced it, this type is also seen in an anglicized version for American consumption.

 

Upload: 2 June 2025.