Bronze Medal of Alexander I of Russia, Russia, 1819–1819. 1988.124.236

Physical Description

• Measurements

  • Weight (in gr.): 29.26
  • Diameter (in mm): 42

Typological Description

• Object Type: Medal
• Date: 1819

• Date on Object

  • Date: 1819
• Manufacture: Struck
• Material: Bronze

• Geographic

  • Place of Cataloging Relevance: Russia

• Obverse

  • Legend: [In Russian] ALEXANDER THE FIRST BY THE GRACE OF GOD EMPEROR OF ALL RUSSIA
  • Type: Nude bust of Alexander I, r.
  • Portrait: Alexander I of Russia

• Reverse

  • Legend: [In Russian] VESSELS/VOSTOK/AND/MIRNYI./1819.

References

• Reference: Diakov.417.1
• Reference: Smirnov.406

Administrative History

• Identifier: 1988.124.236
• Lot: 1988.124
• Department: Medals and Decorations
• Collection: American Numismatic Society

Description

Possibly a later restrike of the medal issued in honor of the second Russian expedition under the command of Captain Faddey Fadddeyevich Bellingshausen to circumnavigate the globe. Leaving Portsmouth on September 5, 1819 with two ships, the 600-ton corvette Vostok and the 530-ton support vessel Mirnyi (captained by Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev), the expedition crossed the Antarctic Circle (the first to do so since Cook) on January 26, 1820. On January 28, 1820 (New Style) the expedition discovered the Antarctic mainland.

Rights

• CopyrightHolder: American Numismatic Society
• License: Public Domain Mark (images)
• Rights: No Copyright - United States