Ancient, British and World Coins, Tokens, Historical Medals and Banknotes

France, Air France, c.1952, a light bronze award medal by P.-M. Poisson, two winged seahorses, reverse Super Constellation aircraft surrounded by signs of the Zodiac, RESEAV AERIEN MONDIAL, inscribed (18.iv.57, Dix Millième Traversée de l’Atlantique Nord), 63mm. About extremely fine, scarce; in original maroon box of issue (£40-60)

The reverse of this medal was adopted from Poisson’s Paul Rivet medal of 1949 – it seems likely to have been one of the artist’s last works before his death in 1953. The inscription refers to the 10,000th crossing of the North Atlantic by an Air France aircraft on 18 April 1957