Moneta
Registered: August 2005
Location: Arizona USA
Posts: 2,362
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I believe this a PATTERN or TRIAL strike by CH Pillet, two other patterns here in the Museum show his name engraved, all three were acquired at the same time/source. Very similar design as the business strike but note"925 (omega zeta and maybe, iota iota" on the obverse rim. I'm pretty sure it is not struck in Sterling silver. Beautiful,...here the lighting flattened the surfaces, better in hand w/proof-like surfaces and light iridescence overall. While the other two are over weight this one is under weight. The original is struck in .500 silver (see my example here in Greece). Obverse is based on a classical Greek coin of Demeter [ CERES in the Roman pantheon].
The engraver for this series of three is Charles Pillet, he was a French sculptor and engraver. Born in Paris, Pillet was a pupil of Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu and Jules-Clement Chaplain. He won the first Grand Prix de Rome engraving medals 1890. He became a member of the Society des Artistes Francais in 1898. The Louvre preserves a letter he wrote to Eugene Delacroix.
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