The Bruce Hagen Collection of Polar Medals

16 July 1997

Lot No 846

Great Britain, Royal Geographical Society, silver Nansen medal, 1896, by Allan Wyon for Pinches, bust of Fridtjof Nansen l., reverse the ship Fram in snow ice, arctic canoe and paddle and two sprigs of laurel below, in a card box inscribed on the side “Den Kongelige Mynt”, 70mm, 155.1 gms (cf. Poulsom p. 86;...

16 July 1997

Lot No 847

Great Britain, Royal Geographical Society, silver Scott Memorial medal, 1913, by Bowcher, Robert Falcon Scott almost facing, reverse polar scene with five figures, the Discovery in background, 55mm, 88.6 gms (cf. Poulsom p. 87; BHM 4101). Choice extremely fine, important and rare, matt finish (£140-180)

16 July 1997

Lot No 848

Belgium, Royal Geographical Society, Antarctic Expedition 1897-1899, bronze medal by Wissaer, crowned globe within wreath, reverse view of the Belgica, bronze, 61mm (BDM VI, p.519). Good extremely fine, but a little dusty, well engraved (£60-80)

16 July 1997

Lot No 849

Belgium, Antarctic and Greenland Expeditions 1897-1909, silver medal by Ch. Samuel, bust of Adrien de Gerlache l. reverse view of the Belgica, legend below, silver, 67mm, 114.8 gms. Good extremely fine, matt finish (£160-180)

16 July 1997

Lot No 850

France, Jean Charcot, silver portrait medal by Richer and Lindaur, bust r., reverse ship, expeditions polaires français above, porquoi pas? below, 68mm, 154.4 gms. About extremely fine (£160-180)

16 July 1997

Lot No 851

France, Jean Charcot, octagonal bronze memorial medal by Gregoire, 1938, bust almost facing, reverse ship, porquoi pas? below, engraved ‘P.L.B. 1948’ on base of rim, 55mm, 101 gms. Extremely fine (£60-80)

16 July 1997

Lot No 852

Germany, Roald Amundsen, South Pole achieved, 1912, silver medal by Lauer, 34mm, 17 gms. Good extremely fine and proof-like (£60-80)

16 July 1997

Lot No 853

Germany, Roald Amundsen, South Pole achieved, 1912, a similar bronze medal by Lauer, 51mm, 48.7 gms. About as struck (£50-60)

16 July 1997

Lot No 854

Germany, Fridjof Nansen, uniface bronze plaquette, unsigned, attributed to Lauer, undated (c.1900-1910), bust three-quarters r., legend below, 46 x 36mm, 17.4 gms. Extremely fine, small spot of discolouration above head, matt finish, with golden patina (£25-30)

16 July 1997

Lot No 855

Ireland, Dublin Society, Sir Charles Giesecke, 1817, bronze medal by Mossop, bust r., reverse polar bear on ice flow, 43mm, 29.1 gms (BHM 953; BDM IV, p.172). Very fine, some bumps to rim, extremely rare (£200-250)

16 July 1997

Lot No 856

Norway, Norway, Roald Amundsen, Polar Expeditions, uniface base metal plaquette by Rui, Oslo, 1926, 77 x 47mm, 36.2 gms. Extremely fine (£60-80)

16 July 1997

Lot No 857

Norway, Norway, Nansen and Sverdrup, 1893-1896 Expedition, unsigned medallets (2), in bronze gilt and aluminium, 24mm, with integral loops for suspension. Extremely fine (£15-20)

16 July 1997

Lot No 858

Sweden, Sweden, Nordenskjold and Palander, North West Passage Expedition, 1879, silver medal by A. Lindberg, 60mm, 89.9 gms. Better than extremely fine, but slight scuffing noticeable on very close inspection, very attractively toned (£140-160)

16 July 1997

Lot No 859

Sweden, Sweden, Nordenskjold and Palander, North West Passage Expedition, 1879, bronze medal by Lea Ahlborn, conjoined busts l., reverse ship, 49mm, 57.5 gms. Almost extremely fine (£35-40)

16 July 1997

Lot No 860

Sweden, Sweden, Nordenskjold and Palander, North West Passage Expedition, 1879, bronze medal by Lea Ahlborn, northern lights over the pole, reverse ship, 44mm, 39.4 gms. Good very fine (£25-30)

16 July 1997

Lot No 861

Sweden, Sweden, Nordenskjold and Palander, North West Passage Expedition, 1879, bronze medal by Lindberg, bust of Nordenskjold l., reverse legend within wreath, 27mm, 9.7 gms. Extremely fine or better, toned, with traces of original lustre (£20-25)

16 July 1997

Lot No 862

Sweden, Fridjof Nansen/Andrees Polar Expedition, 1896, white metal medal by Aug. Hogel, 50mm, 52.2 gms. Extremely fine, beginning to tone, bump to rim (obverse, 11 o’clock), some slight corrosion to reverse at margins (£100-120)

16 July 1997

Lot No 863

Sweden, Sweden or Norway, Fridjof Nansen/Andrees Polar Expedition, 1896, bronze portrait medal, unsigned and undated, bust of Nansen l., reverse ship, 41mm, 23 gms. Extremely fine (£25-30)

16 July 1997

Lot No 864

Sweden, Otto Nordenskjold, uniface bronze portrait plaquette by H. Tagland, bust l., in bold relief, 80 x 57mm (the top rounded), 168.9 gms. Extremely fine (£50-60)

16 July 1997

Lot No 865

United States of America, Dr. Elisha Kane, Masonic related medals (2): a) Kane Lodge, FM & AM No. 454 N.Y., undated and unsigned, bronze, 43mm, 29.6 gms; b) Elisha Kane, by Lovett, white metal, 51mm, 41.2 gms. Both very fine, second somewhat scuffed (£35-40)

16 July 1997

Lot No 866

United States of America, Arrival of Nansen in New York, 1897, by Victor D. Brenner, uniface silver portrait plaquette, base rim marked “sterling”, 69 x 45mm, 84.5 gms (cf. Baxter, The Beaux -Arts Medal in America, 117, p.40). Extremely fine, rare (£250-300)

16 July 1997

Lot No 867

Fridjof Nansen, gold medal by Bodlak, undated (probably 1950-1960’s), 25mm, .900 fine, 9.3 gms. Minor handling, proof-like extremely fine (£80-90)

16 July 1997

Lot No 868

Otto Mart Torrell, Geologist, small silver portrait medal, undated, bust facing, reverse map of Greenland, 32mm, 15.5 gms. About extremely fine, but toned a little unevenly (£18-20)

16 July 1997

Lot No 869

Scott and Shackleton, Swan/Mear/Wood Expedition, 1984-1986, bronze medal, issued by the British Royal Mint, 63mm, in case of issue. Mint state (£20-30)

16 July 1997

Lot No 870

Faddei Faddeivich Bellinghasuen, silver medal by the Franklin Mint, 39mm, .925 fine, 20.2 gms. Mint state proof striking, minor handling (£12-15)

16 July 1997

Lot No 871

South Polar Diamond Anniversary, Canterbury Museum Centennial Appeal, silver medal by the Franklin Mint, bust of Scott almost facing, reverse standing figure of Scott, 39mm, in original card. Mint state (£12-15)

16 July 1997

Lot No 872

Peary North Polar commemoratives (2): a) Peary finds the North Pole, 1909 by Longines Symphonette, silver, matt finish, 40mm; b) The Race to the North Pole 1909 by the Franklin Mint, bronze, 45mm. Extremely fine or better, last proof-like (£20-25)

16 July 1997

Lot No 873

Fridjof Nansen, medals and medallets (4), Norwegian (3), Dutch (1), 24mm, 30m, 33mm, and 42mm; and a medallet, with integral loop for suspesion of Amundsen [5]. Very fine or better (£30-40)