Sale: Nomos 5, Lot: 45. Estimate CHF2000.  Closing Date: Monday, 24 October 2011.  Sold For CHF2800. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Southern Netherlands, Antwerp. 1578. Medal (Silver, gilt, 34mm, 22 g 12), an original cast in honor of Abraham Ortelius, by J. Jonghelinck (1530-1606). ABRAHAMVS ORTELIVS ANTVERP Bare headed and bearded bust of Ortelius to right, wearing ruff and rich robes; on truncation, 1578. Rev. ΜΩΡΙΑ ΠΑΡΑ ΤΩ ΘΕΩ (= with God is foolishness Serpent coiled to left around a pile of books, his head piercing a globus cruciger. Armand III, 307. Smolderen 93. Very rare. A very fine contemporary cast, with original after-cast engraving of details. Fields slightly smoothed and with traces of original gilding. Extremely fine.

Ex Elsen 99, 28 March 2009, 2995.

Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598) was a Flemish map maker who produced the first modern atlas in 1570 (it was reprinted until 1612), and was one of the great figures in the history of mapmaking. He was also a serious collector of coins, medals and antiquities, and that may be the reason for the unusual emblem on the reverse.