Medal - Award for Bolivar

Republic gold Award for Bolivar 1824 (1825) UNC, Lima mint, cf. Fon-9178. 34.5mm x 28mm/17.56g. By Atanasio Davalos. Struck in 1825. Authorized by decree of February 12, 1825 which instructed on its first article that "A medal in the honor of the Liberator [Bolivar] shall be engraved bearing on its obverse his bust with this inscription: A SU LIBERTADOR SIMÓN BOLIVAR and on its reverse the arms of the Republic with this other one: EL PERÚ RESTAURADO EN AYACUCHO AÑO DE 1824", with the first medals reportedly struck on October 10. Two variants exist, engraved by Manuel Villavicencio and Atanasio Davalos respectively, the present piece corresponding to the Davalos variety (his initials "A. D" appear below Bolivar's bust).

On October 1, President of the Government Council Hipolito Unanue reported to Bolivar that "a great dispute between the two engravers" had arisen regarding the rendition of the bust with "Villavicencio obtaining the preference" and Davalos henceforth requesting that Bolivar himself "inspect the sample medals that were enclosed". Apparently, the conflict remained for some time since on the 18 sup th /sup of the same month, fifty medals of the two artists and the corresponding award diplomas were sent to Bolivar for their distribution under his criteria, a proof that both variants were issued. It is probable that the work of Davaos was ultimately preferred based on the current rarity of the Villavicencio variant.

While bronze gilt examples of the Davalos variant are only scarce - yet highly popular - gold examples are very rare, as could be expected. A superbly preserved example of this highly important historical memento of the South American wars of Independence,