FRANCE. Ascent of the Balloon Le Flesselle in Lyon Bronze Medal, 1784. NGC MS-64 Brown.
Joos-a.3. By Nicolas-Marie Gatteaux. Diameter: 42mm. Obverse: Genius reclining on a recumbent lion, looking upwards and leftward at a balloon among the clouds; launch grounds and crowd in the background; perimeter legend QUE NE PEUT LE GÉNIE above; four-line legend MEDAILLE FRAPP EN VERTU D'UNE SOUSCRIPT / FAITE À LYON PAR LES SOINS DE M. / ACHET ECUIER OFF. DE MONSIEUR / FRERE DU ROI in exergue below; signature N. GATTEAUX F. to left of lion; Reverse: Fourteen-line legend L'AËROSTAT, / NOMMÉ / LE DE FLESSELLES, / DE 100 PDS. DE DTRE. SUR 118 / DE HR. S'EST ÉLEVÉ A 1400 TES. / DES BROTTTEAUX À LYON / MONTÉ PAR MM. / MONTGOLFIER LNE. PILATRE DE ROSIER / CHARLE PRINCE DE LIGNE / LES CTES. DE LAURENCIN / DE LA PORTE D'ANGLEFORT / LE MIS. DE DAMPIERE / ET M. FONTAINE / LE 19 JER. 1784. Le Flesselle, named for the governor of Lyon, was the largest of the Montgolfier brothers' balloons and was launched on 19 January 1784 piloted by Joseph-Michel Montgolfier and Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier and included five passengers. At 3,000 feet, a poorly repaired tear failed and the balloon started losing its heated air, causing the balloon to descend slowly at first until the heated air was replaced by the frigid winter air - accelerating the rate of descent quickly. Miraculously, all seven passengers survived the crash. The balloon would never fly again, nor did the Montgolfier brothers ever again build a balloon that large. This medal offers lustrous, deep chestnut surfaces with darker toning in the protected areas that emphasizes the deign detail and lettering. Choice and attractive.
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