Watch List notes:

RUSSIA. Society of Aquarium & Houseplant Lovers Silvered Bronze Medal, 1911. UNCIRCULATED.
Diameter: 44mm; Weight: 33.85 gms. By the Schneider Brothers in Vienna. Obverse: МОСКОВСКОЕ-ОБЩЕСТВО-ЛЮБИТЕЛЕЙ-АКВАРIУМА и КОМНАТНЫХЪ-РАСТЕНIЙ, goldfish swimming left; Reverse: Female figure standing facing, holding branch and potted plant; banner bisecting lower half of field engraved in script: "Выставка 1911 г." Edge: Uncertain hallmark. Gunmetal gray matte surfaces; a few light marks are noted for completeness. A VERY RARE and interesting animal-related medal from the final decade of czarist Russia.

In 1899, a group of members from the Russian Society for Acclimatization formed the "Circle of Aquarium and Terrarium Lovers." The circle was engaged in the popularization of scientific knowledge and the success of aquarists and, in 1905, it was renamed the Moscow Society of Aquarium and Houseplant Lovers. In 1911, the society conducted a large exhibition of aquariums and plant growing-an event held at the Moscow Zoo (Московский зоопарк) and for which this medal was awarded.

Estimate: $150 - $300