Julio Kilenyi

The obverse bears bust of pilgrim, left. Around, PLYMOUTH TERCENTENARY; to left and right of bust, 1620 - 1920; signed below date on right, KILENYI

The reverse bears the seals of the Boston Numismatic Society and the town of Plymouth separated by a burning torch; wreath of laurel (left) and oak (right) tied at bottom behind seals. Around top, SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY; in upper center, BOSTON / NUMISMATIC / SOCIETY

The Boston Numismatic Society was founded in 1860 and celebrated its sixtieth anniversary by issuing this medal. Plymouth, or as it was historically known, Plimoth, was the site chosen for the colony founded by the passengers of the Mayflower. Today, a wonderful living history museum called Plimoth Plantation allows visitors of all ages to experience life in 1627 from the perspectives of both the settlers and the Native Americans.

The circular medal measures 62.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Whitehead and Hoag of Newark, New Jersey. A mintage of 300 pieces in bronze is reported.

The obverse bears bust of John D. Larkin facing left. Under truncation, signature, JOHN D. LARKIN.

The reverse bears image of soap factory. Above, FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY; to left and right, 1875 / 1925; in lower center, Larkin Company logo.

The Larkin Company was founded in 1875 as "J. D. Larkin, Manufacturer of Plain and Fancy Soaps" when John D. Larkin sold his interest in his brother-in-law's company J. Weller & Co. in Chicago to set up his own factory in Buffalo, New York. His first product was a yellow laundry bar named "Sweet Home Soap." 

At first, the company's products were sold door-to-door but by 1893 the company's catalog reached 1.5 million households. The Great Depression damaged the company's business deeply and it was liquidated in 1942.

According to Harry Waterson, the Kilenyi specialist, this medal is sought after by architectural collectors. The Larkin administration building pictured on the reverse was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1904 and built in 1906.  The building was demolished in 1950.

The medal was struck in bronze by the Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. It comes in sizes of 38.4mm and 76.2mm. The smaller variant also comes with a loop at the top for suspension from a ribbon.  One large medal was struck in gold and owned by John Larkin Jr. himself. Other than that, no mintages are reported.

The obverse bears bust l. of Robert A. Long, founder of the Long-Bell Lumber Company. Around, THE LONG-BELL LUMBER COMPANY / FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY; to left, ROBERT A. LONG / FOUNDER; to right, signed KILENYI.

The reverse bears image of path through forest, surrounded by laurel and oak leaves. Above, LONG-BELL; below in cartouche, 1875-1925.

The Long-Bell Lumber Company was started by Robert A. Long and Victor Bell. They had started out selling hay in Columbus, Ohio, but quickly discovered that the wood they needed to construct storage sheds and wagons was much more precious than their hay cargo, so they tore down the sheds and sold the lumber. In 1887 they officially incorporated the Long-Bell Lumber Company and grew it into a major business.

Their company was sold to International Paper in 1956.

Kilényi picked up the forest motif he had used on the reverse of this medal when he designed the reverse of the Fruit of the Loom medal in 1951.

The circular medal measures 83mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. No mintage is reported.

The obverse bears bust of E. H. Gary, chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. Above, UNITED STATES STEEL CORPORATION; under truncation, signature of E. H. Gary / chairman; over shoulder at left, signed KILENYI.

J. P. Morgan and attorney Elbert H. Gary founded U.S. Steel on March 2, 1901 by combining Andrew Carnegie's Carnegie Steel Company with Gary's Federal Steel Company and William Henry "Judge" Moore's National Steel Company. In its first full year of operation, U.S. Steel made 67 percent of all the steel produced in the United States. The government attempted to break the company up using anti-trust laws but ultimately failed. Global competition and changes in markets led to the company's decline and eventual removal from the Dow Jones Insustrial Index in 2014. The company still exists but is a shadow of its former self.

The reverse bears image of four steelworkers in front of factory and locomotive. On left, 1943; above, 25 YEARS SERVICE; at right, E. J. & E. RY. Co.; in exergue, dedication to G.R. JACKSON; under workers' feet, STERLING - W.&H.CO;

The medal measures 44mm in diameter and was struck by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. The years of service come in 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 50 years of service variants. Watch fobs are also known.

The obverse bears a globe in center with north pole visible. Cyclone engine with emanating rays superimposed. Along top edge in two lines, COMMEMORATING THE FIRST NORTH POLE FLIGHT / BY LT. COMM. RICHARD E. BYRD MAY 9, 1926; along bottom edge, WRIGHT AERONAUTICAL CORPORATION

The reverse shows Byrd's airplane in flight over exaggerated north pole of globe, dog sled with two men laboring beneath, clouds swirling from bottom and left. Signed KILENYI at left bottom.

Rear Admiral Byrd (1888-1957) was an American naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights, in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the Antarctic Plateau. He might well have become the first human to cross the Atlantic by plane in a non-stop flight but a crash during a practice takeoff delayed his flight and Charles Lindbergh managed the feat before he could try again.

Byrd's attempt to reach the North Pole by plane was undertaken on May 9th, 1926. His plane, named "Josephine Ford" after the daughter of expedition sponsor and Ford Motor company president Edsel Ford, was a German Fokker F-VII Tri-motor monoplane. Byrd and pilot Floyd Bennett took off from and landed at Spitsbergen after covering 1,360 miles in 15 and a half hours. Byrd claimed to have reached the North Pole though this is very much doubted today. Regardless of the ultimate veracity of his claim, he and Bennett were celebrated as heros upon their return and awarded the Medal of Honor.

The medal measures 100mm (3 15/16in) in diameter and was struck by the Whitehead-Hoag Company.