Historical and Art Medals, Numismatic Books

Germany, 60th Anniversary of the Death of Wilhelm Bauer, 1935, a cast bronze medal by K. Goetz, bust facing, rev. naked sea-god holds the first brandtaucher [submarine] above the waves, 85mm (K 508). Good very fine, very rare (£80-100)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Art Medals formed by Hans-P. Wipfler.

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Plate XXIV. Wilhelm Bauer (1822-75), engineer and inventor from Dillingen, built the first brandtaucher (incendiary diving submarine) with the help of August Howaldt in 1850 and funds from the government of Schleswig-Holstein. Its first public trial in Kiel harbour on 1 February 1851 ended disastrously when the vessel sank to the harbour floor, although its crew, including Bauer, escaped. In 1855 Bauer’s second invention, the seeteufel (sea devil) was launched in St Petersburg. This machine, designed for a crew of 12, was infinitely more successful and performed over 100 dives but eventually it too foundered in 1856. Sold with further background detail