Old Catholic medal.

ken · Senior Member

Picked up a bunch of old medals/tokens the other day.I know this is a Catholic medal probably referring to The Virgin Mary.As I am not Catholic,it is my best guess.Dated 1830 which I thought was nice.It also appears to be silver.

Dick · Expert Member

Ken, it is The Virgin MAry. The legend, (as much as I can see), says She was conceived without sin. I can't see the smaller print.
Dick

KurtS · Senior Member

I cannot tell if the medal is of American or European origin. 1830 is a pretty early date for Catholics in the US, since the major influx came later. This is probably issued by a "Mariologist" order, since emphasis was put on Mary. Over the centuries, there have been quite a few sects with their own ideas on the matter. A lot of assimilation of various beliefs began with the Constantine I appropriation of Christianity--by all evidence, the origin of Catholicism.

Another bit of trivia--the heart/flame symbol on the reverse originated in ancient Egypt, signifying the "Soul of Râ". The use of the rays in Catholic iconography may have a similar origin, due to earlier assimilation into Roman religion--they had close ties to Egypt.

ken · Senior Member

Hi Kurt,Thank you for the info.Very interesting Cool

.Any ideas on the other medal I posted Question

Ken

Teryble · Veteran Member

Hey Ken,
Do not remember too much of my Catholic School Days, but the flame and the heart w/ thorns meant eternal love. Do not recall seeing other symbol, But Jesus Christ was also wounded w/ a spear (crown of thorns around heart). Just Googled it here is a link to The Congregation of the Children of Mary, whose primary purpose was the spiritual formation of the students of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, was first formed in Amiens in 1816, in the Paris school in 1820. In 1832.........,[img]http://www.cshgreenwich.org/pdf/sofieGlossaryofSacredHeart.pdf.
I like it very much, if you ever consider selling it?
Teryble

Steven · Expert Member

Hope this helps.

Miraculous Medal

I am not promoting nor am I affiliated with the site below but it shows some of the medals made.
http://catholicfreeshipping.stores.yahoo.net/miraculous-medals.html

Below is a link that gives some indication of the prayer on the medal.
http://www.catholicity.com/prayer/prayers.html

This link is giving explanation of the medal's beginnings.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10115a.htm

Here is one of my wife's medals.

Steven

Robert · Senior Member

I have a similar one. Mine also has a loop at the top but the other details vary though.

Mine has 7 rays coming out of each of Mary's hands. She also has slightly different arm positions and the dress is different. It has the date "1830" but with no dot after the date and the digits are bigger on mine. The "3" is a "round top" instead of a "flat top" 3. The legend is in French but I think it translates the same: "O MARIE CONCUE SANS PECHE PRIEZ POUR NOUS/ OUI AVONS RECOURS A VOUS"

The other side has a similar design as well, except that the legend is again in French: "CONGREGATION DES ENFANTS DE MARIE". The hearts and flames are different. Mine has no crown of thorns around the left heart and the knife/sword is different. The diagonal lines (heraldic coloring?) of the cross goes in the opposite diagonal direction and are closer spaced. The lines in the "M" are in the same direction and are also closer spaced. The oval at the bottom of mine has horizontal lines and there are no designs to the left/right of the oval. The design below the oval is different.

If anyone finds out more about these medals, I would like to know too.

ken · Senior Member

Hello to all.Thank you all for your very interesting comments.Not being Catholic I only knew it was a Catholic Medal.I am curious as to what the dot is(means)after the date as Roberts' doesn't have it.Robert,could you possibly post a pic of yours Question

Kurt your reference to Eygpt would also tie this with the other medal I posted.I'm going to try to do some more research on both medals and see what I can come up with.I will keep you all informed of what I may find.Thank you again to all of you for your input.

Teryble · Veteran Member

Hey Ken, To me it looks like on the reverse bottom, there should be an inscription, maybe for the students name? Just being blank it stands out to me for some reason? Just a thought.
Teryble

ken · Senior Member

Good morning Teri.I was thinking the same thing.Looks like a place for someone to put thier name or something.

Teryble · Veteran Member

Hey Ken,
They sure gave her a big nose too! What's up with that? Where did you find this?
Tery

Steven · Expert Member

The rays are from the jewels of the fingers and she is standing on the globe and stepping on the head of a serpent.

Steven

ken · Senior Member

Hi all,Teri,I found this in an estate sale when I went to a customers house in Swathmore Pa. near where I live.They had a bunch of tokens in a box as they were getting ready for a yard sale.Grabbed the whole lot(about 40 or so).The house is over 175 years old and they are part of the original family that owned it.They found them in a box in the attic.