rare 1873 bronze medal with heavy inscriptions and intricately detailed and deeply embossed images manufactured to commemorate the world’s exposition at vienna. the obverse side features the right-facing head of austrian emperor franz joseph i, who reigned 1848-1916. the laurel-wearing portrait exhibits detailed linework in the beard and facial features. directly below in diminutive engraver’s lettering is inscribed “j. tautenhayn." raised lettering runs concentrically around the entire coin with the german inscription “franz joseph I. kaiser von oesterreich. koenig von boehmen etc. apost. koenig von ungarn” and a single decorative star at the bottom center. the inverse side features a detailed allegorical scene with four figures on a plinth: at right a woman draped in robes stands in front of a globe, holding a torch and touching the hand of a female figure to the left, possibly representative of sculpture and architecture at left, and science and painting at right. a winged man faces right, but looking back, and holds a wreath in the air, as he steps before a machine gear. at right a woman sits with her hand on a shield inscribed with a double-headed eagle crest. above this scene is inscribed “dem fortschritte” (i.e. “the progress”), and at bottom are two lines in exergue "weltausstellung 1873 / wien" (i.e. world expo 1873 vienna). the same diminutive “j. tautenhayn” can be found at left in the field directly below the figures. the vienna world exposition of 1873 was the first to be held in a german-speaking country. modelled on the great exhibition held at crystal palace, london, in 1851, and subsequent events in london in 1862 and paris, the vienna world exposition was intended to show to the world the industrial and cultural progress of the austro-hungarian empire, and its rapidly expanding and modernising capital city. the nicely aged or patinated medallion was discovered in a historically-important pre-chicago fire german high school constructed in 1869. judging from the location of its discovery, the medallion was likely brought back by a member of the school that attended the exposition. at some point the bronze medal was either lost and/or forgotten sometime in the 1870's before the german school was disbanded and handed over to the city for their use. the medallion was recovered during the building's demolition, where is was found under a staircase.