Tiffany & Co.

This uniface medal's obverse bears a statue of St. Paul holding book and sword, facing left. Around, (flower) SCHOLA · SANCTi · PAULI (flower) EA · DISCAMUS · IN · TERRIS · QUORUM · SCIENTIA · PERSEVERET · IN · COELIS; in exergue, G · C · S / FUNDT / 1855

This beautiful school medal was made from Sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears William Morton and Hans Hendrik, dressed in cold-weather gear, standing on desolate, rocky shore with Morton pointing at the open sea.

The reverse is coated with a smooth layer of lead.

In 1845 through 1848 Sir John Franklin led the British North-West Passage Expedition to search for a northern ocean passage around the American continent.  Two ships with 129 sailors vanished and their fate remained undetermined years later.  The first Grinnell Expedition was launched in 1850 under the command of Edwin de Haven. While they were successful in locating Franklin's first winter camp, they ultimately had to turn around without having fulfilled their mission of dertmining Franklin's fate.

The Second Grinnell Expedition of 1853-1855 was led by Dr. Elisha Kane, who had already been a member of the first Grinnell expedition. The expedition soon became ice-locked and could not continue but they sent out an exploration team consisting of William Morton and Eskimo guide Hans Hendrik. The two traveled by dog sled and reported that they had found open water, the long sought open polar sea. 

Three expedition members died during the return trip and Kane himself never fully recovered from the ordeal. He died in 1857 after having traveled to England to deliver his report to Sir John Franklin's widow.

Tiffany & Co. fashioned a gold medal that was awarded to Kane by the State of New York upon the expedition's return. A silver medal and several coppery bronze medals were also struck.  The bronze medals are always composed from two halves that are joined by lead solder.

The piece depicted here is the obverse half of one of these medals that was obviously never assembled. 

The circular medal (half) measures 80.2mm in diameter and was struck in coppery bronze by Tiffany & Co. of New York.  While no mintage is reported, this medal is extremely rare.

The medal's obverse bears two allegorical female figures representing Europe and America, flanking a giant globe spanned by a cable; angel above, Eagle and Lion at the feet of their figures; three small panels below, bearing American Eagle and shield, native with trade goods and ocean in background, and British coat of arms. At bottom, TIFFANY & CO. N.Y.

The reverse bears two ships at sea with others in background. Above, FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE / AND CITIZENS OF NEW YORK,; in exergue, COMMEMORATIVE OF THE PART TAKEN / BY HIM / IN LAYING THE FIRST / TELEGRAPHIC CABLE / BETWEEN / EUROPE AND AMERICA IN AUGUST, A.D. 1858

Cyrus West Field (1819-1892) was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and rose to world-wide fame for being one of the backers of the first transatlantic telegraph cable.  The first trans-atlantic cable was laid from Telegraph Field, Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland and heralded a new era of communications.  While the cable failed after a brief period of service, it proved the feasibility of the concept of instantaneous trans-atlantic communications. Its significance can be compared to the first trans-atlantic flight or the first Moon landing. 

The medal bears some similarity to the gold medals that were awarded to Field and his partner, but the reverse is different.  Struck by Tiffany and Company, New York, the circular medal measures 69mm in diameter.  Only few large-size bronze peices are known to exist.

Images courtesy of Stack's Bowers Galleries, www.StacksBowers.com.

References:   Marqusee 377

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 obverse bears five seated female figures representing the five burroughs, the names of each burrough beneath them. Behind figures, within ornamented pediment supported by two columns, inscription, NEW YORK / JANUARY 1 / MDCCCXCVIII; view of New York harbor in background; seal of Society at bottom. Around, COMMEMORATING THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT THE PORT OF NEW YORK

The reverse bears four vignettes divided by the four arms of a Dutch windmill. Starting on left, in counter-clockwise direction, the vignettes depict Peter Minuit purchasing Manhattan Island from the Indians, Henry Hudson's Halve Maene, the Dutch evacuating Fort Amsterdam, a Contiental Army officer reading the Declaration of Independence. Around, (tulip) MAY 4 1626 (scallop shell) SEPT. 2 1609 (crown) SEPT. 8 1664 / JULY 9 1776 (eagle)

This is the 13th medal issued by the American Numismatic Society.

The medal measures 64mm in diameter. Designed by Edward Hall and modeled and struck by Tiffany & Company, the reported mintage for this medal is 1 piece in gold, and unknown numbers in silver and bronze. I own a piece that—at least according to PCGS—seems to be struck in copper and is not documented in the great Miller book on the ANS medal series.

References:   ANS 13, Marqusee 197

The medal's obverse bears bust of Commodore Dewey, facing right. Across, THE · GIFT / OF - THE / PEOPLE - OF · THE / UNITED - STATES / TO · THE - OFFICERS / AND · MEN - OF · THE / ASIATIC - SQUADRON / UNDER · THE - COMMAND / OF · COM-MODORE / GEORGE - DEWEY / (wreath and anchor) / (star); signed under truncation D C FRENCH / 1898

The medal's reverse bears young sailor seated on cannon barrel with American flag held furled in his lap. Around, · IN · MEMORY · OF · THE · VICTORY · OF · MANILA · BAY · / MAY 1 - 1898

This beautiful medal commemorates the Battle of Manila Bay. In this battle of the Spanish-American War, Commodore George Dewey's Asiatic Squadron destroyed the Spanish Navy's entire Pacific Fleet while only suffering one casualty to a heart-attack. Dewey was the only American officer to ever attain the rank of Admiral of the Navy, a rank that would today be the equivalent of a six-star admiral, a rank which does not exist.

The medal measures 46mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Tiffany & Co., New York.  Commonly seen with a loop and ribbon, it was awarded by the Navy to all sailors who participated in the Battle of Manila Bay, including Dewey himself (he wore it proudly with the reverse side facing).  Those military award medals are all embossed with the recipient's name.  This medal must either have been a special presentation piece or a design sample but I can't be certain about it. Any expert opinion would be welcome.

Many thanks to Bob Slawsky for granting me permission to use his images.

References:   Baxter 244, Marqusee 178

The medal's obverse bears a galleon under full sail, facing half right. Around, YACHT · RACING · ASSOCIATION · OF · LONG · ISLAND · SOVND ☩

The reverse bears a wreath surrounding center field left empty for inscription.

The edge is marked BRONZE.

The Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound traces its roots back to a 1906 meeting of nine or ten avid sailors, including George Granberry, Harry Jackson, Dr. A.E. Black and J.W. Alker.  They had gathered in the Hotel Astor's yachting room and came up with the idea of the Handicap Yacht Racing Class of Long Island Sound.  From the humble beginnings of six boats competing on one class the association quickly grew to hundreds of boats racing in multiple divisions and classes.

While I could not track down a date for the first medal award I am fairly confident that medals were awarded early on in the association's racing history and have dated the medal in the 1900's.  A much more abstract (and much less expensive) version of the medal is still awarded today.

The circular medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Tiffany & Co. of New York.

This medal's obverse depicts Truth guiding Apollo's chariot. At top, LVX ET / VERITAS; signed at bottom, B L PRATT

The reverse bears five lines of inscription flanked by burning torches, VNIVERSITAS YALENSIS / A D MDCCCCI / CONCELEBRAT / COLLEGIVM YALENSE / A D MDCCI CONDITVM

The edge is hallmarked TIFFANY & CO

Bela Lyon Pratt was himself a graduate of Yale and was commissioned in 1899 by Professors Weir and Niemeyer to design this medal for the upcoming 200th anniversary of Yale College. The medal was struck in silver and bronze. One of the silver medals was given to President Theodore Roosevelt and one of the bronze medals was taken into space by Astronaut Joseph B. Allen.

This is a beautiful medal with a very appropriate design for one of great universities of the world.

The circular medal measures 70mm in diameter and was produced by Tiffany & Company of New York. It was struck in bronze and silver in unknown mintages.

References:   Baxter 217, Marqusee 325