Guild medal, Paris, 1754, 1754
Also known as: Zunftmedaille, Paris, 1754, 1754
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1754
Guild medal, Paris, 1754, 1754 is held by German Clock Museum, dated 1754. Museum description: The guild medal of the Paris clockmakers was struck in 1754. On the obverse it shows King Louis XV of France and Navarre (reg.
1715–1774). The goddess of arithmetic is depicted on the reverse. She is surrounded by various measuring instruments, including a tall clock. The motto "solis mendaces arguit horas" means: "The hours of the sun lie". The phrase refers to a quote from Virgil: Solem quis dicere falsum audeat? (Who would dare call the sun false?) The newly invented pendulum clocks had already made it clear by the end of the 17th century that sundials showed the time only inaccurately.
Accordingly, the clockmakers of Paris chose a proud motto for their guild medal: The hours of the sun lie. (German Clock Museum Furtwangen) The museum record gives measurements diameter: 3.00 cm. These details come from the holding museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- Durchmesser: 3.00 cm
Identification
- Europeana id
- /1406/Museu_ProvidedCHO_museum_digital_57228__technical_number_
- Museum object name
- Zunftmedaille, Paris, 1754
- Holding institution
- German Clock Museum
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm materials, dimensions, maker and wider type against the holding institution and a specialist reference.