Jacques Wiener's Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe

The nineteenth century medal series The Greatest Edifices of Europe by Belgian engraver-medalist Jacques Wiener is examined in detail. The work begins by providing a biographical background for Wiener, followed by the overall medal series, its scope, and production.

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The nineteenth-century medal series, The Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe, by Belgian engraver-medalist Jacques Wiener is examined in detail by author and collector Michael Ross. The work begins by providing a biographical background for Wiener, integrating two primary, existing sources, supplemented by information from Wiener family descendants. The overall medal series is then addressed starting with its inception as defined in Wiener’s original 1853 prospectus through its quietly incomplete conclusion. The scope of the series, its range of issue dates, and elements and characteristics of its production are presented. For each edifice commemorated, the associated medals, including new and unpublished varieties, are presented, legends translated, die characteristics examined, contemporary supporting documentation cited, issue dates revised, and source images used by the artist are identified in limited cases. Where applicable, instances of divergence between the state of the actual monument and Wiener’s renderings are noted as well. The intent of the work is to provide a greater understanding of the medal series through a contextual approach, supplemented by extraordinary, full-color photographs of the medals and the archival images of the architecture that inspired their creation.