EGYPT medal: international dignitaries visit Suez Canal 1865
$110.00
EGYPT, medal, 1865, Paris mint, Obverse: head R, A FERDINAND DE LESSEPS LES DÉLÉGUÉS DE TOUTES LES NATIONS, BARRE, Reverse: DÉLÉGUÉS / AU CONGRÈS INTERNATIONAL / POUR LE VISITE / DU CANAL MARITIME DE SUEZ with names of the delegates in tiny lettering in four columns below and “AVRIL 1865” at bottom, Edge: plain, stamped CUIVRE, bronze, 58mm, 100.97g, there is no privy mark, so probably original strike, Album offered similar as “Egypt” but it is actually French. edge bumps, VF
1 in stock
Description
In 1865 an international delegation of dignitaries travelled to Egypt to observe the construction of the Suez Canal, which was opened in 1869.
There are two kinds of things that are called “medals.” One is things that look like coins but don’t express a value. Sometimes those medals are considerably larger than most coins. The other kind of medal is a metal thing designed to be displayed on one’s chest, often a reward for something, often in a military context. If the medal is small enough it is sometimes called a “medallet.”
The word “exonumia” is used to describe all kinds of things that are “like” coins but are not coins. I wrote a blog post on that subject. Basic categories: 1. used like a coin but not issued by a national government, 2. looks like a coin but not made for spending, 3. other things that we are interested in.
