unknown interesting medal

[Carson Coin Master]

Don't have any clue on this medal. I picked it up at an antique shop for a dollar, even the guy selling it had no clue where it came from or what it is. Hoping someone on here could help me identify it. The item looks like stamped tin or sterling with gold plating over it. it weighs 9.5 grams and reads on the front "AQUISGRANUM" assuming this is Latin. On one side of the medal it has the letter "A" and on the opposite side is the letter "U" there is an owls face at the top and a nude child like figure holding two fish in the middle standing on a platform with the number 53 and below that the number 25. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mackaydon]

You're right, the word is Latin for Aachen, the spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Don.......

 

[DCMatt]

A quick search shows that Aquis Granum is the old Latin name for the German city of Aachen - known for it's sulphur hot springs discovered by the Romans in 53 AD.

Here is a burb about it from a book written in 1743:

It is a small fortified town, neatly built with ~"~v brick, the citadel large and strong, wherein is the palace of the ancient Dukes. 2. Aken, or Aken, or Aquis Granum, usually called Aix la Chapelle, a Aixla.. large Imperial city, fifteen miles south-west 0fChaFlleJuliers, and twenty south-east of Maestricht, supposed to have taken its ancient name from SeRenius Gran u s, Lieutenant-General of GalHa Belgica, in the reign of the. Emperor Adrian, who having discovered the hot springs here about the year 53, first built and beautified them after the manner of the Roman baths, and then erected himself a palace in the place; in confirmation whereof, the natives still Ihew a piece of ancient architecture, which they call Turris Grani, and relate that it is a part of the ruins of that General's palace.

Still searching.

DCMatt

 

[Mackaydon]

Here's the pic of the statue the medal represents--and the story:

The "Fat Baby With Fish" is situated in the Fischmarkt where for centuries fish from local rivers and ponds were sold. The statue stands opposite the Taufkapelle (Baptistery) where, up until Napoleonic times all Aachen children were baptised. "Et Fisch -Pueddelche" is the name of this fountain designed by Lederer at the beginning of the 20th C. "Pueddelche" is a nickname for a small child in Aachen. At the time Lederer designed this fountain it would have been unthinkable for the prudish, puritanical towns people to have a statue of a naked man in their streets! So, instead, he erected a statue of a naked baby holding two fish to represent the fish market and no one was offended. It seems that in the past this statue often disappeared and has at times even been guarded by policemen!!
Photo from The Old City of Aachen album | Orly Yahalom

 

[Carson Coin Master]

You're right, the word is Latin for Aachen, the spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Don.......

Thanks for the info. So the piece is German. Does anyone have any idea what the medal could be for is it of religious significance? Do the numbers represent a year date or other?

 

[Mackaydon]

I can tell you the fountain (statue) was designed in 1911 by Hugo Lederer so the date of your medal obviously post dates that date.

Religious in nature? I doubt it since the statue was more like an ad for the nearby fish market.

Don.........

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Has anyone seen this medal before and what if anything is it worth?

 

[DCMatt]

My guess is that it commemorates 25 years of something. But I have no idea what. The letters A U may hold the clue, but, of course, they are probably initials for German or Latin words. I can't help you there...

DCMatt

 

[Rmeav8r]

I would guess it might be a Volksmarch medal from Aachen or nearby city. You may be able to contact the German-American Volksmarching club in Aachen to see if they can identify it. Here is a link to the facebook page for the club, it has some contact information.

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=261209607244349



Also if you google "German American volksmarch clubs" you will get links to a lot of other Volksmarch or "Wandering" clubs in Germany. I lived there for a total of 9 years and have boxes of mugs, plates, medals and other items from Volksmarching.

Scout

 

[DCMatt]

A U could indicate Aachen University. Perhaps a medal for 25 years of service?

DCMatt

 

[Ammonhotep]

My sister lived in Aachen for nearly 10 years, and still lives nearby. I was just there for the Weinachten Markt (Christmas market) last year. Beautiful city!

I'll see if she can track down anything about it.

 

[Carson Coin Master]

My sister lived in Aachen for nearly 10 years, and still lives nearby. I was just there for the Weinachten Markt (Christmas market) last year. Beautiful city!

I'll see if she can track down anything about it.

That would be great I really appreciate it!

 

[Ammonhotep]

Well, here's the best I've got. My sister says the following: "... one possibility would be to try asking at the Aachener Karneval club Fidele Aquisgrana if anyone there knows. Hallo, so sind wir Go to the link for Kontakt, and you'll find some e-mail addresses."

Most Germans speak English well, so language shouldn't be a problem. Best of luck!

 

[Mackaydon]

Any letters or images on the reverse?
What does the complete ribbon and clasp look like?
Don.......

 

[Ammonhotep]

Another message: "Maybe you've noticed that that's an owl (Eule in German) at the top of the medal. You might also ask someone at the Karnevalsgesellschaft Eulenspiegel:" http://www.eulenspiegel-aachen.de/index.php?option=com_contact&view=category&catid=0&Itemid=18

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Any letters or images on the reverse?
What does the complete ribbon and clasp look like?
Don.......

The back of the medal is plain just the reverse of stamping it. The ribbon I don't think is original because it looks like a tattered old black and white ribbon held together with a safety pin.

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Well, here's the best I've got. My sister says the following: "... one possibility would be to try asking at the Aachener Karneval club Fidele Aquisgrana if anyone there knows. Hallo, so sind wir Go to the link for Kontakt, and you'll find some e-mail addresses."

Most Germans speak English well, so language shouldn't be a problem. Best of luck!

well I e-mailed the organization above and am still awaiting a response, hopefully they don't thing my email was spam and just throw it away. I translated the email into German so it would be easier for them to read. Hope that helps. Thanks for the information.

 

[Ammonhotep]

Unless you have a fluent speaker translate it (not translate.google.com, for example) then I'd probably have just stuck with English. Just my opinion. All the same I hope the research is fruitful. I did post another org for you to contact, if you so choose. HH!

-Ammo

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Unless you have a fluent speaker translate it (not translate.google.com, for example) then I'd probably have just stuck with English. Just my opinion. All the same I hope the research is fruitful. I did post another org for you to contact, if you so choose. HH!

-Ammo

HAHA oh crap I didn't even think about the dialect that was probably needed. Thanks for the heads up though

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Well I have come to a dead end on this. I sent e-mails to the clubs that everyone listed above and it's been almost two weeks and no response yet. Any info on this piece from anyone would be helpful. Thanks