All Medals

This medal's obverse bears conjoined busts of Warner and Swasey facing left. Around edge, WORCESTER REED WARNER · AMBROSE SWASEY; in exergue, 1880 · 1920; signed in exergue under truncation, V.D.BRENNER

The reverse bears large telescope in observatory with two men seated to left and one standing on raised platform at ocular, and one at top of telescope mount. Around edge, THE WARNER & SWASEY CO. / CLEVELAND OHIO. U.S.A. / LICK TELESCOPE

The medal celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Warner & Swasey Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Warner and Swasey had worked together at Pratt & Whitney and cofounded their eponymous company in 1880 in Chicago. in 1881 they moved to Cleveland to be located closer to one of their major customers.

The company manufactured lathes and other metal working machines and existed as a subsidiary of Giddings & Lewis until 1992 when it was shut down. Before that it had been acquired by the Bendix Corporation in 1980, Cross & Trecker in 1984 and finally Giddings & Lewis in 1991.

A different version of this medal was issued ten years later, after Brenner's death. On that version, the year was updated and Warner's lifespan was added to the left of his portrait.

The medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. While the mintage is not reported and neither production records nor dies exist any more, a person who wishes to remain anonymous has done extensive research on this medal. He tracked all available auction sales and reports that no medal with a serial number higher than 297 has ever been sold. This provides a definitive lower bound and probably also a fairly reliable upper bound of ca. 300 for the mintage.

References:   Baxter 142, MACo 1920-028

This was the first Norway medal to be created for the series. The design was probably inspired by the rapid expansion of speculative North Sea oil drilling at the time prompted by the 1973 oil crisis.

The obverse presents a view out to sea with an advancing line of oil drilling platforms in the background. Ung subtly suggests a sea covered by oil slick that has washed up a dead gull on the shore in the foreground. 

The emotive conservationist theme of the obverse is matched by the mother and child design on the reverse. Ung intended this to represent Mother Norway embracing the child of future prospects. The design is thus something of a landmark in nation gendering as Norway at that time did not have the tradition of female allegorical symbols of countries such as Russia (Mother Russia), England (Brittania), and France (Marianne). Ung's design adds the future child, layering in traditional religious icon elements to the design, implying that the present country needs to take care of and protect the future environment. He's followed the tradition of having the mother's gaze fixed on the child who is in turn looking out at the viewer.

References:   NorA NO-1975

The medal's obverse shows two women, symbolising France and America, seated in an open boat, rowed by an angel wearing a phrygian bonnet (a symbol of the French Revolution). In the distance on the left is the Statue of Liberty. Around top, VNION · FRANCO · AMERICAINE / STATVE · COLOSS-ALE · DE · LA · LIBERTÉ · ECLAIRANT · LE · MONDE / 28 OCTOBRE / M.D.CCCLXXXVI; signed around lower left, O. Roty.

The reverse shows the shields of America and France resting on a laurel branch, with a profile portrait of Bartholdi, facing left, in a medallion between them.  Around, SOUVENIR · DE · L'INDEPENDANCE · AMERICAINE; across,  MONVMENT / ERIGÉ · PAR · LA · FRANCE / ET · L'AMERIQVE · EN · SOUVENIR / · DE · LEVR · ANCIENNE · AMITIÉ / 1776 - 1876; flanking cartouche at bottom, HAVTEVR · DE / LA · STATVE · 46'''8 - HAVTEVR · DV / PIÉDESTAL · 35'''

This medal commemorates the Franco-American Union, formed in 1875, which planned and ultimately brought about the creation of the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift of friendship from France to the U.S.A. in recognition of the friendship established between the two nations during the American Revolution.

The Union agreed that the monument would represent the work of both nations. The statue would be made by the French and transported to the U.S.A. and the Americans would build its pedestal. The sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904) started work immediately. The statue was dedicated on 28th October 1886.

The circular medal measures 68.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Paris Mint. No mintage is reported.

Parts of the description are from the Victoria and Albert Museum's record for this medal.

References:   Baxter 30, Marqusee 340

The obverse bears kneeling nude youth holding an airplane model in right hand, left hand on propeller; sun at left horizon. To right, date and signature 19 (circled BP) 41 / ©

The reverse bears dove in flight over fleecy clouds. Below, FLIGHT

Brenda Putnam wrote in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"Although this medal is issued during a preiod when the entire world is engaged in a gigantic struggle on land, at sea, and in the air, the theme of the medal is not warlike. The lad is no warrior, and the bird no eagle. Rather does the design concern itself with man's creative struggle to win supremacy in a vast new region, -the air. The war proves only too well the appalling destructive power of fighting and bombing planes. But beyond the war -and there will surely be a beyond- there are infinite possibilities for constructive and humanitarian activities in man's conquest of the air."

This medal was chosen as the 26th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1942. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York, which struck 759 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-026, SoM 26, Marqusee 326

The medal's obverse bears bust of Abraham Jacobi facing left. Around top, A · JACOBI · MD; around bottom, · M C M X · ; signed under truncation, MOWBRAY CLARKE

The reverse bears wreath and legend, · PRESENTED · / · IN · CELEBRATION · OF · HIS · / · FIFTY · YEARS · OF · SERVICE · / AT / · MT · SINAI · HOSPITAL · / · BY · THE · ASSOCIATED · / ALUMNI · / MDCCCLX / MCMX ·

Dr. Abraham Jacobi (1830-1919) was a German physician and pioneer of pediatrics, opening the first children's clinic in the United States. After studying medicine in Germany, he was involved in the 1848 revolution and served time in jail before leaving his home country for England in 1853. In exile, he lived with Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels before setting sail for the U.S. in 1854.

To date, he is the only foreign-born president of the American Medical Association. He helped found the American Journal of Obstetrics and is regarded as the Father of American Pediatrics.

The circular medal measures 50.9mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1910-003

References:   Murtha 471

The medal's obverse bears three galleons on top of cresting wave at right with sun at left. Around, VOYAGE TO THE NEW WORLD

The reverse bears a Yin/Yang design with one side patterned in a style reminiscent of Native American art. On these patterned strands, MEDAL / COLLECTORS / OF AMERICA; at bottom of design, · · · · · DISCOVER MORE · · · · · ; at bottom · 20 © 17 ·

This is the sixth annual membership medal issued by the Medal Collectors of America.

The circular medal measures 63.6mm in diameter and was struck in silver and bronze. The mintage is reported as 39 pieces in bronze and 24 pieces in silver.

References:   Baxter 240, MACo 1958-007

The medal's obverse bears portrait of William Fahnestock. Around top, · FAHNESTOCK · & · CO · ; To left, WILLIAM / FAHNESTOCK / FOUNDER; to right, 1881 / 1931; signed above right shoulder, (JSR monogram)

The medal's reverse bears a beautifully detailed street scene of New York's Wall Street. To left, WALL / STREET; to right, 1881; signed at bottom, (JSR monogram)

William Fahnestock (1858-1936) beccame the youngest member of the New York Stock exchange at age 23. A year later, he opened the doors to Fahnestock & Co with his father, Harris C. Fahnestock, at 2 Wall Street. After a series of consolidations and mergers, the firm is now part of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1931-001, Marqusee 355