HELP! Unsolved Medallic Mysteries in My Collection

ANS Fellow Ira Rezak has been a collector of coins and medals for more than seventy years. While remaining intrigued by historical and artistic medals of all sorts, periods and countries, he has long specialized in those of medical, Jewish and Russian interest. Items previously unpublished, or indeed completely unknown, particularly where their origins, meaning, or intended social function have remained uncertain, present an exciting, even if often frustrating, challenge. Dr. Rezak will discuss several medals in his collection that have resisted identification, in some cases for decades, despite research efforts and consultation. Help would of course be welcome in such instances, but the thrill of numismatic inquiry in itself has remained a potent justification for the incurably acquisitive collecting bug.