Historical and Art Medals

Dublin Society, Sir Charles Giesecke, 1817, a bronze medal by W. Mossop, bust right, rev. polar bear on ice floe, 43mm (BHM 953; BDM IV, 172). Good very fine, extremely rare (£200-250)

BHM notes this medal as only ‘rare’, perhaps because it is represented in four institutional collections. This is only the second example seen by the cataloguer, the other being in the Bruce Hagen Collection, DNW 30, lot 855. Karl Ludwig Giesecke (1761-1833), aka Sir Charles Giesecke, spent a number of years in Greenland gathering minerals. Whilst returning to England his ship was captured by a Danish brig which in turn was captured by a British vessel and brought to Leith. The mineral collection was sold in Edinburgh, part being purchased by the Dublin Society. To make some amends for the loss of his collection and its purchase by the Society, Giesecke was appointed professor of Mineralogy and director of the museum, during which time the Society ordered this medal in recognition of his services. The Giesecke collection is now housed at Trinity College, Dublin