Photo Credit: LeBonheurDuJour
French Art Deco Silver Plaque, Circa 1930
Asking Price: $74.81 (fluctuates with the EUR/USD exchange rate)
Pros:
-This marvelous 1930s French Art Deco silver plaque by Édouard Fraisse depicts the personification of industry pointing a youth towards the future.
-This French art medal is rectangular in form and measures 55 mm (2.17 inches) wide by 49 mm (1.93 inches) tall by 2 mm (0.08 inches) thick. This is quite large for an antique medal, which boosts its desirability.
-This beautiful Art Deco silver plaque was originally awarded in 1930 to a French engineering graduate from the city of Angers named "Roger Maillard".
-The obverse of the plaque has the inscription "Ecole Nationale D'Arts et Métiers - D'Angers 1930", which translates as "National School of Arts and Crafts - Angers 1930".
-The mid-sized French city of Angers is located on the Maine River about 50 miles upstream from France's western Atlantic coast. In the early 20th century, Angers was known for its production of distilled liqueurs (primarily Cointreau), sparkling wines, and other agricultural products, along with slate roofing tiles and steel cables and wires.
-The reverse of the medal is engraved with the phrase "Ministère de L'Instruction Publique et des Beaux-Arts - Enseignement Technique", which reads in English as "Ministry of Education and Fine Arts - Technical Education".
-This fine Art Deco silver plaque comes in its original, felt-lined fitted box. This is fairly unusual as most of these cases have been lost over time. So it is always a joy to find an antique medal still paired with its original box!
-This vintage French medal is hallmarked "ARGENT" (silver) on its rim, indicating that it is made from solid silver.
-Although the seller does not disclose the plaque's weight, we can estimate it from the dimensions given. First we derive the medal's volume: 5.5 cm x 4.9 cm x 0.2 cm = 5.39 cm3. Then we multiply this value by the density of a typical silver alloy (we'll use 90% coin silver at 10.31 g/cm3). This gives us an inferred weight of 5.39 cm3 x 10.31 g/cm3 = 55.6 grams or 1.78 troy ounces, which is exceptionally heavy for an art medal.
-Vintage art medals are one of the few segments of the antiques market where you can still find legitimate investment grade pieces for less than $100. This 1930s French Art Deco silver plaque is a great example of this phenomenon at only $75. With such a low price, you should not hesitate to add it to your collection.
Other Vintage French Items For Sale On Etsy
Cons:
-The value of antique art medals varies according to subject matter. The theme of industry found in this medal runs in the middle of the pack in terms of desirability, below subjects such as planes and cars. But this is really nitpicking.
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