Medallic Art Collector's Selection - Medals

Description

The obverse bears image of powerful buffalo with lowered head. Below, MONARCH OF THE PLAINS; at left edge, 1934; at right edge © / Ruth W Brooks.

The reverse bears large panel of text. At top, THE FIRST DESCRIPTION OF / THE AMERICAN BUFFALO; below, lengthy quote in Spanish; at bottom, © As written in 1542 by (signature) Alvar Nunez Cabeza da Vaca - (RB monogram).

Edge marked with MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. / BRONZE.

Ruth Brooks was involved with the "American Bison Monument" project in 1934 and 1935. Her design for the medal's obverse probably reflects that project but I could not find any details. I don't know whether she submitted a design and was not selected or whether she worked on it in some capacity. Your assistance in tracking down more information would be very welcome.

This medal measures 85mm x 60mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References: MACo 1934-014

Medal Details

This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. / BRONZE.
dimensions	85mm x 60mm
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 16:38

Description

The medal's obverse bears beautifully detailed vase within beaded border. Around, THE GARDEN CLUB / OF AMERICA

The reverse bears crossed laurel branches around bottom half, center field empty for inscription. Signed at lower right, HARRIET W FRISHMUTH 1934

References: MACo 1935-007

Medal Details

This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Nov 1, 2017 17:53

Description

The obverse shows sensuous nude under waterfall. Below, "A MIRACLE OF RARE DEVICE"; signed at lower right, (JMS monogram).

The reverse bears five stars at upper right. Across, Celebrating / Fifty Years / of Service / Paterson / Parchment Paper / Company / 1885 - 1935.

The edge contains maker's mark at 6:00: MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.

The Paterson Parchment Paper Company was founded in 1885 in the city of Passaic, New Jersey. It flourished for several decades but in 1931 it found itself on the recieving end of a monopolization and price discrimination law suit brought by the Story Parchment Company. Apparently, this did not hurt the company all too much because by 1961 it was the World's largest manufacturer of vegetable parchment and custom made paper.

"A miracle of rare device" is a reference to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Kubla Khan. The second stanza starts out with:

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!
A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw;
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.

This is an unusual commercial medal because the nude on the medal's obverse is definitely sensuous if not overtly sexual in her posture. Normally, nude females were reserved for allegorical or mythical pictures and while the pictured nude might be a reference to the poem's Abyssinian maid (missing her dulcimer), it seems more likely that it is a reference to the pleasure-dome. I would love to know how this medal was received in the 1930's, not by the art world, but by Paterson's friends and customers.

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

References: MACo 1935-012

Medal Details

This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.
diameter	76mm
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Dec 21, 2017 15:25

Description

The obverse bears medallic version of Lawrie's bas-relief panel on face of Rockefeller center. God with crown and long wavy beard frowning from sky. Below, WISDOM AND / KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE / THE STABILITY / OF THY TIMES.

The reverse bears classic art deco view of building with sun behind and clouds on sides. Around, ROCKEFELLER CENTER.

In my opinion, this medal is probably among the top ten most beautiful American art-deco medals. Its obverse clearly picks up the motif of the 22' x 14' bas-relief panel over the entrance to 30 Rockefeller Plaza. That relief was designed and modeled by Lee Lawrie who also modeled this medal.

The circular medal measures 69.9mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the International Silver Company on behalf of Rockefeller Center, Inc. The mintage was 500.

Medal Details

This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6
diameter	69.9mm
weight	156.4g
mintage	500 reported

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 16:50

Description

The obverse bears art deco city scape with factories and skyscrapers surrounding a giant generator building; clouds and sun rays above; house and train engines below. In exergue, * ORDER OF * / MERIT

The reverse bears large silver letter W over palm frond. Around, WESTINGHOUSE AWARD; in lower half, TO / (blank) / WHOM HIS FELLOW / MEN DELIGHT TO / HONOR

The Westinghouse Order of Merit was awarded by Westinghouse Electric Corporation as its highest form of employee recognition. Both management and technical employees were eligible to receive the award.

The cicular medallion has a diameter of 101mm. It was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The mintage is not reported.

References: MACo 1935-035, Marqusee 110

Medal Details

This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6
diameter	101mm
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 17:10

Description

The medal's obverse bears Janus head. Around top and under head, · AMERICAN · ACADEMY · / · IN · ROME · / · 1894 · ; signed around bottom right, CECERE 1935

The medal's reverse bears olive branch in four-segmented ring. Around, · ALUMNI · MEDAL · / FOR · COLLABORATION

The American Academy in Rome is the oldest American overseas center for independent study and advanced research in the arts and humanities. Each year, through a national juried competition, the Academy offers approximately 30 Rome Prize fellowships. Many of the most famous American sculptors are Academy alumni.

References: MACo 1935-016

Medal Details

This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
patina	Bronze with brown patina
edge6
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 15:48

Silver

Description

This uniface medal's obverse bears a horse in full gallop with rider bent over horse's neck and whip in hand. An Art Deco sun on the horizon on the left. Above, INTERNATIONAL PHILATELIC EXHIBITION / NEW YORK - 1936; signed near sun, MAHONRI. In empty field below, AWARDED TO.

The bottom edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO NY for the bronze medal and MEDALLIC ART CO NY - FINE GOLD for the medal of unknown composition.

The medal was produced in both bronze and silver. Silver copies are held by the Cleveland Museum of Art and the American Numismatic Society (1936.130.1). The medals were awarded to exhibitors.

This rectangular medal measures 84mm x 55mm and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York in both bronze and silver. No mintages are reported.

References: MACo 1936-027, Marqusee 411

Variant Details

This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 2 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6
dimensions	84mm x 55mm
mintage	unknown

material	Silver
edge6
dimensions	84mm x 55mm
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 16:27

Description

The medal's obverse bears bust of Bishop facing left. In two lines around bottom half, · ROBERT · HAMILTON · BISHOP · FIRST · PRESIDENT · OF · / (leaves) MIAMI · UNIVERSITY (leaves); signed under truncation at right, EBH

The reverse shows college building with three bare trees, two flanking, one in front. Around top in three lines, WILLIAM · HOLMES · McGUFFEY : ROBERT · CUMMINGS · SCHENK : BENJAMIN · HARRISON / ·· DAVID · SWING ·· WHITELAW · REID ·· JOHN · SHAW · BILLINGS ·· / HENRY · MITCHELL · McCRACKEN : ANDREW · DOUSA · HEPBURN ·; in exergue, KIYOSHI TOMIZAWA / AWARDED FOR / MERITORIOUS PUBLIC / SERVICE / 1937

Robert Hamilton Bishop (1777-1855) was a Scottish-American who became the first President of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Before that he was an early sympathizer with the plight of black slaves. In 1815, he organized a Negro school at Pisgah in Woodford County, Kentucky, and in 1816 he opened a school for African-American girls at Transylvania. His 1824 history of the church in Kentucky gave credit to the slaves Peter Durrett and his wife for founding and building up the First African Baptist Church of Lexington, Kentucky. Late nineteenth -century histories noted only white churches in Kentucky.

Miami University maintains a page with all recipients of the Bishop Medal.

Issued by Miami University, the circular medal measures 70mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References: MACo 1936-002

Medal Details

This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6
diameter	70mm
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Dec 21, 2017 15:26

Red-gold bronze with brown patina

Description

The medal's obverse bears a line of five runners, flying geese overhead, slim whippet racing below.

The reverse bears a nude athlete putting the shot. Flanking the athlete, 19 (RTM monogram) 36 - REJOICE / OH / YOUNG - MAN IN / THY - YOUTH; in exergue, ©

Robert Tait McKenzie is rightly famous for his athletic subjects and this medal is a good example. As he wrote in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"The last fifty years has shown a revival and spread of interest in competitive athletic sports and outdoor life that has no parallel in the history of the world...
As one who has followed this great movement from its inceptionto maturity I have chosen two phases of it for the thirteenth medal issued by the Society."

This medal was chosen as the 13th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1936. It measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported production quantity of this medal is 1,001 in bronze and 100 in silver.

References: 109, MACo 1930-001-013, Marqusee 269, SoM 13

Variant Details

This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 4 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
patina	Red-gold bronze with brown patina
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTEENTH ISSUE
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.
diameter	73mm
mintage	1001 reported (for all Bronze variants)

material	Bronze
patina	Red-gold bronze with brown patina
edge12	M.A.C./.NY.
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.
diameter	73mm
mintage	1001 reported (for all Bronze variants)

material	Bronze
patina	Golden bronze with brown patina
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTEENTH ISSUE
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.-DANBURY,CON.
diameter	73mm
mintage	1001 reported (for all Bronze variants)

material	Silver
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS TWELFTH ISSUE - ONE OF LIMITED ISSUE OF 700
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. - .999+ PURE SILVER
diameter	73mm
mintage	100 reported, 700 authorized

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 16:54

Bronze

Description

The obverse bears the old NBC logo crisscrossed in the center; double lightning bolts extending from all corners of the cross. On left and right of lightning bolts above, 19 / 26; on left and right of lighning bolts below, 19 / 36.

The reverse bears text only. Around, NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY * A RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA SERVICE * ; in center field, TENTH ANNIVERSARY / TO THOSE WHO HAVE SHARED WITH US / IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF BROADCASTING.

The medal commemorates the tenth anniversary of the National Broadcasting Company which was founded in 1926. It was distributed to its employees in 1936.

From Chris Bach, whom I owe big thanks for information about art medals, I learned the following:

This scarce Art Deco medal has long been "unsigned" in various auctions with no artist or sculptor identified or credited with the design. However, the Cleveland Museum of Art credits the medal as being a collaboration of three people: "modeled by Julio Kilenyi (American, b. 1885); obverse designed by Richard A Loederer (American, b. 1894) and the reverse designed by E.P.H. James (American)" - a gift to the museum's collection by the National Broadcasting Company in 1937 (No. 1937.9.A/B). A specimen at the New York Historical Society in NYC also credits Julio Kilenyi; and the Library of Congress collection identifies a similar item designed by Loederer in their NBC History Files: 1922-1986, Folder 173, Logos, "Photo of tenth anniversary (1936) plaque designed by Richard Loederer of Vienna."

I have only ever seen a bronze variant once. It is usually the silver-plated variant that comes up for sale.

This medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver plated bronze by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts.

Variant Details

This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 2 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
edge6
diameter	76mm
mintage	unknown

material	Silver-plated bronze
edge6
diameter	76mm
weight	190.3g
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 16:40