John Pinches 1976 Franklin Mint 24K Gold Plated Over Silver 925/1000 Medallion With A Poem By PDA Atterbom

John Pinches 1976 Franklin Mint 24K Gilded Gold Over Silver 925/1000 Medallion With A Poem By PDA Atterbom featuring a bright gold round medallion decorated with an intricate floral design in relief with a matt gold finish with a smooth gold sunburst design at the centre.

The following poem is on the reverse in relief with an intricate fine border of flowers in relief with a matt gold finish. The PDA Atterbom poem reads as follows: 'Det blommar pa lappar det blommar pa kind Det viskar en rost som en sommarkvalls vind' Which after a little research, roughly translates as: 'It blooms on the lips It blooms on the cheek It whispers a voice like a summer eve's breeze'.

Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom (19 January 1790 in Åsbo, Östergötland to 21 July 1855) was a Swedish romantic poet, and a member of the Swedish Academy. This romantic pendant is made from hallmarked 925 silver and 24ct gold gilt. Around the edge of the medallion are the stamps and hallmarks: 'JP', '925', '+ in a circle' and the letter 'B'. This hallmark reads JP (maker's mark for John Pinches), 925 for Silver, London Assay Office mark for imported silver, date stamp B (for year 1976) and also: 'SILVER 925/1000 FORGYLLT MED 24 K GULD © FM 76'.

This reads as follows, 925 for silver, 'Forgyllt Med 24 K Guld' translates as 'Gilded with Gold', '© FM' the copyright for Franklin Mint, and 76 for the year 1976. John Harvey Pinches, MC, (9 April 1916 – 2 July 2007) was an English rower, Royal Engineers officer, medallist and author.

Pinches also worked for the family medallion business, established in 1840, whose output included badges and insignia in Britain, commemorative issues for much of the Commonwealth, and decorations and orders for overseas governments. In 1940 the business was turned into a Limited Company John Pinches (Medallists) Ltd. It was eventually bought by the Franklin Mint of Philadelphia, USA, around 1969 and Pinches moved to Wiltshire, so I can only guess that either he kept working for them, or Franklin Mint used his original casts when they bought the business? This charming medallion / pendant measure 3.8cm diameter and it weighs 25.5g. It will come with the original chain, unfortunately this is partly tarnished, so it will not be charged for. The medallion is in great condition.