Miniature circular silver medal with eyelet for ribbon suspension with ‘tête de sanglier’ silver hallmark and indistinct lozenge-shaped maker’s mark; the face with an early monoplane, biplane, hot air balloon and two airships in a cloudy sky above a landscape, circumscribed above ‘PER ASPERA AD ASTRA’ (through difficulties to the stars) and ‘PRO PATRIA’ (for the country) at the base; the reverse with the full-length figure of Our Lady of Loreto centrally, a biplane in clouds to the left, a biplane and a monoplane in clouds to the right, circumscribed ‘VIRGO LAURETANA’, a monogram to the lower left, indistinctly signed lower right; diameter 19.97mm (0.79 inch); without ribbon. The Medal appears to date from the earliest years of aviation and was probably intended to bring much-needed spiritual protection to early aviators.
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