A very rare silver medal struck at the Warsaw Mint in 1885 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the death of St Methodius. The issue is unlisted by both Smirnov and Diakov. A known silver example offered at The New York Sale XXVI was described as “Choice and Very rare.”
The medal was issued in connection with the millennium of the death of St Methodius (died 6 April 885), one of the most important missionaries to the Slavs. The jubilee celebrations took place on 6 April 1885 and were of broad significance throughout the Slavic world.
The obverse depicts St Methodius and St Cyril standing facing, separated by a tall patriarchal cross bearing the Crucified Christ and surrounded by a radiant glory. Methodius holds an open Book of the Gospels, while Cyril holds the cross and a scroll. Their names and dates of death appear beside them: 6 April 885 for Methodius and 14 February 869 for Cyril. Below is the signature of the medallist, Ф. ВИТКОВСКIЙ Р., F. Witkowski engraved.
The reverse is dominated by an extensive Cyrillic inscription. Its central section contains an excerpt from a prayer attributed to St Cyril, taken from his Life, while the surrounding legend commemorates the millennium of the death of St Methodius. The place and exact date of the commemoration appear below: WARSAW, 6 APRIL 1885.
Graded UNC DETAILS by NGC. Uncirculated details but surface is cleaned.
The silver variety is very rare. The type remains unlisted in the standard catalogues of Smirnov and Diakov, while the example offered at The New York Sale was described as “Choice and Very rare.” A particularly interesting Warsaw Mint issue combining 19th-century Polish medallic art with the history of Christianity and Slavic culture.
Obverse: St Methodius and St Cyril standing facing, separated by a tall patriarchal cross bearing the Crucified Christ and surrounded by a radiant glory. Methodius holds an open Book of the Gospels and Cyril a scroll; below, the medallist’s signature Ф. ВИТКОВСКIЙ Р.
СВ. СЛАВЯНСКIЕ ПЕРВОУЧИТЕЛИ / СВ. МЕѲОДIЙ ✝ 6 АПР. 885 / СВ. КИРИЛЛЪ ✝ 14 ФЕВ. 869 / Ф. ВИТКОВСКIЙ Р.
Reverse: in the centre, a six-line excerpt from St Cyril’s final prayer, rendered in stylized Cyrillic script. The text corresponds to a passage preserved in the Life of Constantine-Cyril.
ВЪ ПАМЯТЬ ТЫСЯЧЕЛѢТIЯ БЛАЖЕННОЙ КОНЧИНЫ СВ. МЕѲОДIЯ / ГОСПОДИ! ПОГУБИ ТРИЯЗЫЧЬ-НУЮ ЕРЕСЬ И ВСЯ ВЪ ЕДИНОДУШIЕ СЪВЪКУПИ, СЪТВОРИ ИЗРЯДНЫЯ ЛЮДИ. / ИЗЪ ПРЕДСМЕРТНОЙ МОЛИТВЫ / СВ. КИРИЛЛА ПО ПАННОНСК. / ЖИТIЮ ЕГО ГЛ. 18. / ВАРШАВА 6 АПР. 1885
Silver, diameter 38 mm.
