FRANCE. Arrival of the Venus de Medici Bronze medal, 1803. PCGS SPECIMEN-63.
Bramsen-280. Obverse: Bust of Napoleon facing right, signatures below; Reverse: Statue of the Medici Venus, perimeter legends at left, right, and below. Edge marking indeterminate given that the medal has been slabbed. Discovered in Rome by the mid-16th century, the statue of Aphrodite was moved to various locations in Tuscany over the next couple of centuries. It was (unsuccessfully) moved to Palermo in 1800 to protect it from the invading French; succumbing to pressure it was shipped to Paris in 1803. It was quickly shipped back to Florence after Napoleon's 1815 death. An attractive example of the type with deep umber color and fairly pristine surfaces.

Estimate: $100.00- $200.00