The Bruce Hagen Collection of Polar Medals

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)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bruce Hagen Collection of Polar Medals.

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BHM notes this medal as only ‘rare’, perhaps because it is represented in four institutional collections; Bruce Hagen calls it extremely rare and the cataloguer has to agree, it is the first he can recall seeing.

The note in BHM reads “Sir Charles Giesecke spent a number of years in Greenland gathering minerals; whilst returning to England his ship was captured by a Danish brig which in turn was captured by a British vessel and brought to Leith. The mineral collection was sold in Edinburgh and part was purchased by the Dublin Society. To make some amends for the loss of his collection and its purchase by the Dublin Society, Giesecke was appointed Professor of Mineralogy and Director of the museum during which time the Dublin Society ordered this medal in recognition of his services.”