100567 | GREAT BRITAIN. St. Paul's Cathedral bronze Medal.

100567  |  GREAT BRITAIN. St. Paul's Cathedral bronze Medal. Issued 1849. Architectural series: St. Paul's Cathedral in London (59mm, 97.17 g, 12h). By J. Wiener in Brussels.

 

Perspective frontal view of the cathedral; St PAUL'S CATHEDRAL / LONDON in two lines in exergue / Ornate perspective interior view of the gallery designed by Sir Christopher Wren; in three lines in exergue, FOUNDED VII CENTURY, BURNT XI CENTURY / REBUILT IN STONE XII AND XIII CENTy / AGAIN BURNT 1666 / REBUILT IN ITS PRESENT STATE / 1675–1710. Edge: Plain.

 

Van Hoydonck 49; Eimer 1505. Choice Mint State. Rich chocolate brown surfaces, with a high degree of underlying luster. Extremely attractive architectural type. Compare to similar examples in Stack's Coin Galleries 18 August & 9 December 2009 auctions, lots 6039 & 1183 (which realized hammers of $700 and $650 [plus buyer's fee], respectively).

 

Originally founded in 604, the cathedrals that have stood in the location of St. Paul's have been destroyed by fire numerous times during the middle ages, with the "Old St. Paul's" famously being a calamity during the Great Fire of London in 1666, of which it was one of nearly 90 churches destroyed by the massive conflagration. Sir Christopher Wren was tasked with rebuilding many of these structures, St. Paul's being the crown jewel. This present version was officially consecrated in 1697, some 31 years after the Great Fire. During World War II, the cathedral did suffer some damage from German bombings, but survived mostly without issue.

 

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