Antique Swedish Silvered Memorial Medal of Queen Lovisa by Lea Ahlborn, 1871
Price:1800 SEK160 EUR173 USDChange Currency
Dimensions: Height 0.3 cm (1 inches) x Width 4.4 cm (2 inches)
An antique Swedish commemorative medal from 1871, created by the celebrated Swedish medallist and engraver Lea Ahlborn (1826–1897), in memory of Queen Louise (Lovisa) of Sweden and Norway, consort of King Charles XV.
The obverse features a finely detailed portrait of Queen Louise in profile, wearing a small crown and a pearl necklace. Beneath the portrait is the signature of Lea Ahlborn, one of Sweden's most distinguished 19th-century medal engravers and the first woman to hold the position of royal engraver at the Swedish Royal Mint.
The reverse depicts a winged allegorical figure holding a wreath, surrounded by the Swedish inscription “Följd af kärlek, tacksamhet och saknad”, meaning “Followed by love, gratitude and sorrow”. Below is the date 30 March 1871, commemorating the Queen's death.
The medal displays a silver-coloured surface with an attractive aged patina. The material is believed to be silver, although silvered bronze cannot be excluded without testing.