Heritage World Coin Auctions
CICF Signature Sale 3040 9-10 April 2015
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Brazil
Pedro II gold Award Medal ND (1873) XF - Surface Hairlines, Rio de Janeiro mint, VC-165, Meili-204. Gold, 28mm, 15.57 grams. Obverse: PEDRO II IMPERADOR DO BRASIL. Reverse: AMA AO PROXIMO COMO A TI MESMO in four lines, hand engraved dates below, all within a wreath. Created by decree of March 14, 1855 this medal would be awarded to those that showed extraordinary services to humanity. The present specimen was awarded in 1873 per the hand-engraved dates on the reverse. The origin of this award is most interesting and can be traced to the heroic action of a born-free black of Cabo Verde named Simao, during the wreck of the Brazilian steamship Pernambucana which was overtook by a wild storm on the night of October 8, 1853. Contemporary accounts - see for example Naufragio do vapor brazileiro "Pernambucana" em 1853: extracto dos jornaes. Lisboa. Typ. H. Pires Marinho (1854) - indicate that Simao distinguished himself during the wreck by saving thirteen passengers, swimming back and forth between shore and sinking ship. Rescued passengers included a woman of means named Camila Veira da Costa and her children and a war veteran. Heralded as "the valiant mariner", Simao was granted an audience with Pedro II on November 7th, who granted him a purse of 400,000 Reis and an award medal. Said medal - authorized by decree of December 9, 1853 - had an identical design to the present piece and would be worn with a "fire-colored" ribbon (cor de fogo). A portrait of Simao by Jose Correia da Lima is currently housed in the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro.The present award was rescinded by decree of December 14, 1889 and thus the very few observed examples span a large period: Cavalcanti's specimen bears the date 1860, Meili's the date 1870, the present is dated 1873 as mentioned previously, and a reference to an 1887-dated example has been noted by the cataloger. Very rare in gold, with 4-5 specimens confirmed.
Estimate: 2000-3000 USD
Pedro II gold Award Medal ND (1873) XF - Surface Hairlines, Rio de Janeiro mint, VC-165, Meili-204. Gold, 28mm, 15.57 grams. Obverse: PEDRO II IMPERADOR DO BRASIL. Reverse: AMA AO PROXIMO COMO A TI MESMO in four lines, hand engraved dates below, all within a wreath. Created by decree of March 14, 1855 this medal would be awarded to those that showed extraordinary services to humanity. The present specimen was awarded in 1873 per the hand-engraved dates on the reverse. The origin of this award is most interesting and can be traced to the heroic action of a born-free black of Cabo Verde named Simao, during the wreck of the Brazilian steamship Pernambucana which was overtook by a wild storm on the night of October 8, 1853. Contemporary accounts - see for example Naufragio do vapor brazileiro "Pernambucana" em 1853: extracto dos jornaes. Lisboa. Typ. H. Pires Marinho (1854) - indicate that Simao distinguished himself during the wreck by saving thirteen passengers, swimming back and forth between shore and sinking ship. Rescued passengers included a woman of means named Camila Veira da Costa and her children and a war veteran. Heralded as "the valiant mariner", Simao was granted an audience with Pedro II on November 7th, who granted him a purse of 400,000 Reis and an award medal. Said medal - authorized by decree of December 9, 1853 - had an identical design to the present piece and would be worn with a "fire-colored" ribbon (cor de fogo). A portrait of Simao by Jose Correia da Lima is currently housed in the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro.The present award was rescinded by decree of December 14, 1889 and thus the very few observed examples span a large period: Cavalcanti's specimen bears the date 1860, Meili's the date 1870, the present is dated 1873 as mentioned previously, and a reference to an 1887-dated example has been noted by the cataloger. Very rare in gold, with 4-5 specimens confirmed.
Estimate: 2000-3000 USD