102978 | UNITED STATES. Cat and Mouse bronze Medal.

102978  |  UNITED STATES. "Cat and Mouse" bronze Medal. Issued 1987. Society of Medalists series. (69x54mm, 199.76 g, 12h). By Robert Weinman for the Medallic Art Company.

 

Large piece of Swiss cheese, behind which a cat lurks left, head poked around to right; a mouse hides within the lower right hole of the cheese // The same scene, but represented from the back, showing the full body of the cat. Edge: SOM—115 1987 ROBERT WEINMAN LIMITED EDITION 2500 MACO BRZ.

 

Alexander SOM-115.1; FIDEM '87 1478. Essentially as Made. Some minor discoloration on the obverse. An ever-popular and fairly rare issue from the waning years of the series; though having an authorized mintage of 2,500 pieces, far fewer were actually produced, with a reported mintage of just 750 examples–many of which can exhibit surface issues and spotting.

 

A rather whimsical work of art that blends the line between medal and sculpture, this free-standing design is a departure from the more "traditional" round medal, but the end product is exceptional. Robert Weinman, a medalist who had previously designed the 1964 entrant (Socrates) into the series, presented a stark contrast here. Born into an artistic family, Weinman, who passed away in 2003, was the son of famed German-born U.S. coinage engraver Adolph Alexander Weinman, designer of the 'Mercury' dime and 'Walking Liberty' half dollar, as well as the official award medals for the 1904 St. Louis/Louisiana Purchase International Exhibition.

 

Upload: 15 November 2024.