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Merck 350 Years

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Gies Ludwig - 1918 Blackened Cast Iron, 114mm x 90mm, 237.9 grams, Ernsting WVZ 171.

A exceedingly rare work by Ludwig Gies, one of the finest, and personally my favorite, of the Munich Medallists.

This was a private pattern and model for the much smaller 49mm x 38mm production issue. According to Bernd Ernsting in his Ludwig Gies, the reference work on Gies' work, there were only three (yes three) made. I suspect that there may be a few more as I know of at least one other in private hands but regardless, exceedingly rare.

This is one of Gies' few early private commissions for the 350th anniversary of the pharmaceutical giant, Merck.

Beautiful detail and in Gies' inimitable style, the obverse shows the apothecary Fredrick Merck in his lab in 1668. Check out the detail - the distillation apparatus, the scales, and more bizarrely, the cat in the lower fore and the scorpion dangling from a bracket. Reverse shows the Merck industrial plant 350 years later with patron saint in fore.

Grade: VZ (XF)

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PRICE $395