Here's a bronze medal to commemorate the Andree Arctic Balloon Expedition of 1897. The expedition was a failed attempt to reach the North Pole by hydrogen balloon by three Swedish men. The metal shows the three men on the expedition. They were Salomon August Andrée, the leader (1854-1897), Nils Strindberg (1872-1897), and Knut Frænkel (1870-1897). The metal was made in 1930 when the remains were finally found of the three men on the expedition. Andrée had proposed the voyage by hydrogen balloon from Svalbard to either Russia or Canada which, with luck, would pass straight over the North Pole. But sadly it was not successful, and all three perished.

The bronze medal shows the conjoined busts of the three men done by artist Alfred Olson, and is signed under the relief. The medal was made by C. C. Sporrong & Co. and signed on the medal's edge. On the reverse side is the overhead map of Spitzbergen, Svalbard and Kvitoya, on which the path of the expedition is delineated. The medal is 2 1/8" in diameter.

This is a pretty rare medal of a fascinating piece of history. It's interesting to read more about this amazing attempt.

NOTE - The patina is darker on the side with the 3 men compared to the map side, and overall it looks brighter in brighter light. The photos show it in different lights.