| Stack's Bowers Galleries (& Ponterio) > February 2024 World CCO Auction | Auction date: 26 February 2024 |
| Lot number: 73386 Price realized: 2,600 USD (Approx. 2,396 EUR) Note: Prices do not include buyer's fees. | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: MEXICO. Death of Maximilian Bronze Medal, 1867. NGC MS-63. AJN. AJN-XLI.3 (1907) pp. 67-8, #29. Not listed in Groves. By Jean Baptiste Würden. Diameter: 68mm. Obverse: Jugate bare-head busts of Maximilian and Carlota (Charlotte),left, perimeter legend, signature and star below busts; Reverse: Mixed palm and laurel wreath, nine-line legend within. Maximilian was selected by Napoleon III to be the figurehead ruler of the French Empire in Mexico; he and his wife Charlotte, daughter of Leopold I of Belgium, arrived in Mexico in 1864. In 1867 Napoleon III withdrew his support; Charlotte returned to Europe to lobby on Maximilian's behalf. Charlotte's mental health declined as it became apparent her mission was not going to be successful. While she was away, Maximilian was captured by Republican forces in the city of Querétaro, tried, and executed. Charlotte returned to Belgium, her mental state never recovering from the shock, dying in 1927. Würden was a Brussels-based medalist, and thus this medal was struck there, likely in sympathy towards Charlotte. This medal re-uses the obverse of his 1864 medal lauding the couple's new imperial stature (Groves-110b). An attractive example with deep mahogany color. Rare. Estimate: $300 - $500 |  |
