FRANCE. Count Caylus and Mecenas White Metal Medal, ND (ca. 1780). NGC MS-61.
By Johann Kaspar Mörikofer. Diameter: 43mm. Obverse: Bust of the Count of Caylus facing right, perimeter legend COMES A CAYLUS above; signature MORIKOFER . F. below bust; Reverse: Bust of Mecenas facing right, perimeter legend MECENAS . above; MÖRIKOFER . F. below bust. Count Anne-Claude-Philippe de Caylus was an archeologist, artist, engraver, and man of letters after a brief military career. During his military travels, he developed a particular passion for antiquities and also sponsored a prize through the Academy of Fine Arts for young artists. His written works included Numismata Aurea Imperatorum Romanorum, a treatise on the gold coinage of the Roman Empire. Gaius Cilnius Maecenas was a Roman political advisor to Octavian and a patron of Augustan poets like Horace and Virgil. This medal draws parallels between the two men. An example of this medal was presented by Mörikofer to the French Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1780. This medal displays a mix of charcoal and gray surfaces with a wash of russet toning. Extremely rare with little presence in numismatic literature.
Margolis had a few rather overt interests in his collecting of medallic art. One such theme was that of medals pertaining to man's earliest pursuits to conquer the heavens in the form of ballooning. The European exploits of the late 18th century are contained here across many different country categories. Also quite noticeable was his interest in the medallic art of Jewish engravers, such as Jakob Abraham and his son, Abraham Abramson, among numerous others. Across this selection of medals, these themes and topics will become obvious, adding further dimensions to the already intense focus with which Margolis pursued his collecting.
From the Richard Margolis Collection.

Estimate: $200.00 - $300.00