This Vintage devotional medal is a classic Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic medal. It features a profile of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the front, with Saint Bernadette kneeling before the Virgin Mary in the grotto on the reverse side. The "OBC" is a maker's mark that stands for O.B.C. (often associated with Ollagnier, a well-known French religious jewelry and medal manufacturer based in Lyon, France). The front generally shows a left- or right-facing profile of Mary, and the back depicts the 1858 apparition at Lourdes. These specific marked medals date from the early 1900s and were frequently produced in France. They were traditionally struck in base metals, nickel silver, silvered metal, or sometimes sterling silver.
A cranberry (or deep red) and cream ribbon does not have a strict, universal meaning in Catholic tradition, but it typically holds specific liturgical or cultural significance. In antique French Catholic practice, these colors are highly symbolic:
Cranberry (Red): Represents the Precious Blood of Christ, divine love, and the Holy Spirit. It is also the liturgical color worn during feasts of the martyrs and Pentecost.
Cream (White/Ivory): Represents purity, innocence, the Virgin Mary, and the light of Christ. White is worn during Easter and Christmas, as well as for sacraments like Baptism and First Communion.
In France, vintage pilgrimage medals were frequently sold as brooches with intricately folded ribbons. A cranberry-and-cream combination often marks a medal purchased for a significant milestone.
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