All Medals

The obverse bears bust of Ulysses Grant r.; below, seal of the Society; to left of truncation, four stars denoting his rank. Around, GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT; signed on trunctation, TIFFANY

The reverse shows a view of Grant's tomb. Around, DEDICATED NEW YORK APRIL 27 1897; in exergue, ISSUED BY THE THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC / AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY; signed at bottom, TIFFANY & CO.

This is the 11th medal issued by the American Numismatic Society.

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was designed and struck by Tiffany & Company. The reported mintage for this medal is 1 piece in gold, 81 in silver, and 500 in bronze.

References:   ANS 11, Marqusee 376

The medal's obverse bears dolphins over anchor, over crossed cannon barrels and fasces; large round knob at top.

The reverse is bare.

It is unknown whether Manship created this design for a commission, a design competition, or independently from a sense of patriotic fervor. Manship certainly was a fierce patriot who did what he could to support the war effort.

The exact date for this design is also not known but one of the other designs, the Army Valor decoration, has a sample date of 1918 inscribed on the reverse.  They all date roughly to the end of World War I, probably 1918 or 1919.

The cast bronze measures approximately 67mm x 79mm and weighs 238.5g.

The uniface plaquette bears portrait of Horatio R. Storer, facing left. Below, TO THE MASTER IN SVRGERY / MEDICAL NVMISMATIST / AND LOVER OF MAN AND NATVRE / HORATIO R · STORER · MD · LLD / FROM HIS FRIEND R · TAIT McKENZIE · MD · 1913

Horatio Robinson Storer (February 27, 1830– September 18, 1922) was a physician, numismatist and anti-abortion activist.

Storer was born in Boston, Massachusetts and attended the Boston Latin School, Harvard College, and the Boston (Harvard) Medical School. After obtaining his M.D. in 1853 he traveled to Europe and spent a year studying with James Young Simpson at Edinburgh. He began medical practice in Boston in 1855 with emphasis on obstetrics and gynecology.

In 1857 he started the "physicians' crusade against abortion" both in Massachusetts and nationally, when he persuaded the American Medical Association to form a Committee on Criminal Abortion.

After his retirement from practice in 1872, he became an authority on, and a notable collector of, medallions of medical interest.  He is also the grandfather of Malcolm Storer, the famous numismatic author.

References:   Marqusee 263

The medal's obverse bears idealized forest scene with with doe nuzzling fawn on left side and owls perched on pine branch on right side. Signed at bottom, Eliscu

The reverse bears calendar panel flanked by owls with fawn above. At bottom, 1991

This was the 17th medal issued by the Medallic Art Company in its annual calendar medal series. As noted in the brochure that accompanied the medal:

"The 1991 Calendar Medallion by Frank Eliscu is a beautifully sculpted reminder for us to concern ourselves with our environment and to protect animal habitats."

"Beautifully sculpted reminder" is a very aptly chosen phrase because the medal's obverse was reused from the very first medal in the calendar medal series issued in 1975. I don't know what the rationale behind that choice was.  Maybe the designs for the next planned medal were running late, maybe the Medallic Art company was in business turmoil at the time, but regardless, Frank Eliscu saw his design used twice in one medal series!

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and (probably) silver by the Medallic Art Company. No mintages are reported.

References:   Cal MA-1991

The medal's obverse bears logo of the Main Place organization. Around, THE PRINCIPALITY / OF MAIN PLACE

The reverse bears view of One Main Place in Dallas. Around, ONE MAIN PLACE / THE TEXAS BANK DALLAS

The circular medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1969-143

The medal's obverse bears Daedalus in flight, reaching for a star, his gossamer wings before large sun on star-strewn background; mountains below.  Along left and right edge, DAEDALUS - THE ARTIFICER

The reverse bears the guild's coat of arms with plough and tall ship in oval field, hand holding scales above, and palm fronds flanking. Around, ARTS & CRAFTS - GUILD - PHILADELPHIA; at bottom, MASTER / CRAFTSMAN / MEDAL

The Arts and Crafts movement was a social and aesthetic counterpoint to increasing industrialization and commoditization of work,  Arts and Crafts proponents sought to revitalize ideas of craftsmanship and artistic harmony in the areas of Architecture and Decorative Arts.  The Philadelphia Arts and Crafts Guild traces its roots back to several artist communities that were founded around the turn of the 19th century. The movement was already waning around the time of Workld War I.

The Arts & Crafts Guild of Philadelphia was organized in 1905 and formally incorporated in 1911. An entry in a directory shows the Guild having 115 members in 1914. The medal is unsigned and undated but the history of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Philadelphia makes it likely that it was designed in the late 1900's, maybe the early 1910's. Any further information would be highly welcome.

The octagonal medal measures 53.2mm x 69.9mm and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears view of the Great Pyramid and Mortuary Temple. Signed at right, JUREK

The reverse bears calendar on three panels surrounded by hieroglyphs. On left and right panel, 19 - 98

This was the first installment in a little sub series of calendar medals that depicted the seven Ancient Wonders of the World. According to the pamphlet accompanying the medals, the series was the brainchild of Jurek Jakowicz who also got to sculpt the first medal.

The circular medal measures 75.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of Dayton, Nevada. The origina; purchase price was $34.95 for a bronze and $169 for a silver medal. No mintages are reported.

References:   Cal MA-1998

The obverse bears statue of LaFayette on horseback. To left and right, LAFA - YETTE / WE - ARE / HERE; signed at right, (JF monogram)

The looped medal's reverse bears statue of Lafayette, half right. Around, COMM· DEDIC· OF THE STATUE OF LAFA-YETTE PRES· TO THE CITY OF METZ BY THE / KNIGHTS - OF COLUMBUS; to left and right of statue, SEPT - EMBER / VI - MCMXX; signed in right field, (JF monogram)

It was in the year 1775 in the French city of Metz that the Marquis de LaFayette committed himself to the cause of the American Revolution. He became one of the central figures of the revolution and gained the undying gratitude of the young nation. In 1919, the Knights of Columbus sponsored an equestrian statue of LaFayette

"to commemorate the fraternal participation of France to the foundation of the United State (1775-1783) and to immortalize the sacrifice of the glorious French and American soldiers who died on the battlefields of Liberty, in 1914-1918."

In August 1920 one of the famous equestrian statues of Lafayette by the American sculptor P.W. Bartlett, was inaugurated in the Square Boufflers of Metz, near the very place where Lafayette stood in 1775 at the Governor's Palace.

The medal measures 41mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. Its mintage is not reported.

References:   Marqusee 147

References:   MACo 1930-022

The obverse bears bust of Lincoln, r. (no button holes on lapel). Around, SALVATOR / PATRIAE.; signed below truncation, EMIL SIGEL FECIT.

The reverse bears wreath around circumference; ribbon running through wreath with inscription PUB. BY THE / AMERICAN / NUMISMATIC / AND / ARCHAEOLOGICAL / SOCIETY / NEW YORK 1866. In center field, IN / MEMORY / OF THE / LIFE ACTS AND DEATH / OF / ABRAHAM LINCOLN / BORN FEBRUARY 12. 1809. / DIED APRIL 15. 1865.

This medal, the first one to be officially issued by the ANS, almost proved financially calamitous to the young organization. The dies gave out quickly and Sigel had to create a second set. The Society put a $720 lien on the set of dies until the additional costs were completely repaid.

The circular medal measures 83mm in diameter. Mintage numbers are uncertain but believed to be between 100 and 125 pieces in bronze and 30 in white metal (tin).

J.S. and A.B. Wyon of London were authorized to strike reductions of the medal in different sizes and metals. Variants that are known to exist include bronze pieces, silver and white metal pieces in sizes of 35mm, 16mm and 7mm. All of these are rare. These medals were not issued by the ANS, though the Society purchased 25 sets for sale to its members.

References:   ANS 1, Marqusee 353