Pietro Montana

The medal's obverse bears a mother figure reminiscent of Mary at left holding a baby while priest at right performs the christening, open Bible held in one hand. In exergue, incuse HENRY ERNST LINCOLN LUHRS / 7 JUNE 1931; (PM monogram) at left.

The reverse bears dove before sun over christening basin; stars around circumference.

This is a very elegant medal and it caught my attention for two reasons. First, I could not make sense of what I assumed to be the artist's signature at left and second, the dedication is for the son of prominent numismatist and collector Henry Ernst Luhrs. I have since identified the medal's designer as Pietro Montana; not a terribly big surprise given the Christian subject matter and the date.

Dick Johnson dates this medal to 1934, but the Luhrs family either used it for a baptism in 1931 or post-dated the medal once it became available. Either way, it is a beautiful religious medal that goes with several others to form a loose spiritual series. Beyond baptism, there was also a set of medals for boys' and girls' confirmation, a medal for engagement, and finally a medal for marriage.

References:   MACo 1934-027

The medal's obverse bears couple exchanging vows iwith Christ flanked by two disciples in background, blessing the couple's union. In exergue, very faintly, CONSECRATIO / AMORIS · FIDEI · UNITATIS / (PM monogram) - ©

The reverse bears four purri arranged around rectangular area inscribed with: Margaret Gene McIlvaine / George Stanley Koehler / June 16, 1951

The couple's wedding announcement ran in the New York Times on December. 10, 1950. George S. Koehler taught English at Amherst College for many years and was well known in academic circles and beyond. In his career he was an exchange professor at Freiburg in Germany and was a a judge on Yale University's panel for its presitigious poetry prize.

The circular medal measures 63.5mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1934-044