1900 Medal Eimer-1842 BHM-3672 Bronzed AE SP(PCGS#844948)

September 2021 Hong Kong Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

21618

等级

SP64

价格

116,039

详细说明

Exceptional Peking Siege Award Medal Presented to Capt. John Twiggs Myers of the United States Marine Corps CHINA. China - Germany - Great Britain - Japan - Russia. Siege of Peking Bronze Award Medal, 1900. PCGS SPECIMEN-64. BHM-3672; Eimer-1842. Diameter: 57mm. By J. Tayler Foot in London. Presented to Capt. John Twiggs Myers, United States Marine Corps (USMC). Obverse: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN / ICHABOD! --from Belshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt, roughly translating as "God hath numbered the days of thy kingdom and hath brought it to an end; thou hath been weighed, and thou art lacking; Alas! The glory hath departed!" [itself a reference to the book of Daniel], female allegories of Germany, wearing mural crown, and Great Britain, wearing Phrygian cap, standing facing one another and clasping hands along with allegory of Japan in background, wearing kimono; at their feet, they tread upon a coiled dragon emblematic of the Qing Empire and the Boxers; Reverse: JUNII XX - AUGUSTI XIV / A D MDCCCC, frontal view of the Qianmen (Zhengyangmen) Gate, under siege and engulfed in a plume of smoke slightly zoomorphized as a snarling dragon; cannon in foreground. VERY RAREand extremely historically important, this exceptional vibrant and glossy near-Gem medal features intense luster and an enchanting overall look. A relic from the height of the Boxer Rebellion. Includes original box of issue with the recipient's name embossed in gilt foil, along with the title "PEKING SIEGE / 1900." Compare to a similar example which realized a total of $16,800 [!] in our April 2021 Hong Kong auction (lot # 52590). Struck at the request of Arthur D. Brent, an employee of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, these medals were given to others present during the siege that ensued at the International Legations in Peking (Beijing) during the summer of 1900. A group of Europeans, Japanese, and Christian Chinese took refuge within the Legation Quarter as the forces of the Boxers and Qing Empire laid siege for 55 days--the siege ultimately broken by a joint international effort that marched from the coast. The obverse legend is a reference to an inscription illuminated in the paining by Rembrandt entitled Balshazzar's Feast. On the wall, the Hebrew phrase that is transliterated on the medal became an English expression used for foreshadowing impending doom. The phrase "the writing is on the wall" retains the general meaning of the concept, the idea that one's fate has been sealed. In the context of the medal, the glory and good times enjoyed by Europeans within the legation had seemingly come to an ominous end at the hands of the Chinese beyond their walls. Estimate: $5,000 - $10,000. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. 1900年德國-英國-日本-俄羅斯圍攻北京銅樣章。 直徑57 毫米。J. Taylor Foot 鑄於倫敦。呈送美國海軍上校 John Twiggs Myers。正面"MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN / ICHABOD!"出自倫勃朗的《伯沙薩王的盛宴》，意為"汝邦氣數已盡，即將覆亡，此乃神旨。汝之所為俱已为度，有所虧。嗚呼！榮光已逝！"[此句原本出自《但以理書》] 章上刻畫三名女性形象：頭戴花冠的是德國與頭戴自由之帽的英國執手相對，背後為身穿和服的日本。三名女性赤脚踩於象徵大清帝國及義和團的捲曲龍身之上。反面刻有"JUNII XX - AUGUSTI XIV / A D MDCCCC"，描繪被燒毀的前門 (正陽門)，濃煙形狀似是龍在咆哮，門前有一大炮。非常罕見，極具歷史價值的一枚紀念章。油亮，光澤充沛，近頂尖品相，魅力十足。義和團運動巔峰時期的遺物。附原盒，盒上受勛人的名稱用箔紙壓印，有標題"PEKING SIEGE / 1900"。上一枚類似拍品於 2021 年香港春拍（編號 52590）以 16,800 美元高價拍出。此紀念章應香港上海滙豐銀行職員 Arthur D. Brent 要求而製，贈予 1900 年夏季八國聯軍之役的在場人士。在被義和團及大清朝帝國圍攻的 55 天内，歐洲、日本及中國基督教徒藏匿於東交民巷中。攻勢最終在八國聯軍登岸後被瓦解。俄羅斯外交官瓦西里-庫朋斯齊，時任俄羅斯駐華公使，當時亦身陷困境。其後來亦擔任駐美國、中華民國及日本的大使。正面銘文引用倫勃朗的畫作《伯沙薩王的盛宴》。寫於墻上的希伯來文在章上音譯為英文，預示即將到來的厄運。英語中"the writing is on the wall"(寫於墻上)有厄運臨頭，難逃一劫的含義。在此章上可被理解為，歐洲使者所享受的榮耀與歡樂時光即將被忍無可忍的中國人畫上句號。