A Group of Medals Issued by SAMF

France, 1899. France. Jeunesse, a silver plaque by J.-P. Legastelois for the SAMF, bust of a girl right, reverse irises, edge stamped 172, 60 x 48mm (Coll. R. Marx 89; PBE 529; BDM III, 372). Extremely fine, a charming and rare plaque (£80-100)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Group of Medals Issued by SAMF.

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Julien-Prosper Legastelois (1855-1931), the Parisian sculptor and medallist, studied under Oscar Roty; his Jeunesse was the first issue of the new Société des Amis de la Médaille Française, founded by the art critic Roger Marx (1859-1914) in 1899. The SAMF was responsible for some 60 different medals during its short life (ceasing to exist in 1909), and Marx was responsible for engaging some of the most celebrated fin de siècle French medallists to design them; being limited issues, all are rare, especially the strikings in silver of which there are several in this auction