Russia, Imperial. An 1873 Table Medal for the Centenary of the Gorny Institute

Constructed of bronze, the obverse bearing raised and mirrored profiles of Empress Catherine II (“the Great”) and Tsar Alexander II, set within ornate oval borders, topped by a female figure representing the personification of wisdom, above the coat of arms of the Gorny Institute (Saint Petersburg Mining University) and a date of 21 October, the reverse bearing a raised depiction of the university in high relief and exceptional detail, situated above a date of “1873” and below a dedication in Russian Cyrillic, surrounded by a circular oak leaf wreath, unmarked, measuring 79.10 mm in diameter, in extremely fine condition.