Anton Scharff - Medals | Medallic Art Collector

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	65.6mm
weight	105.6g
mintage	unknown

Last modified: May 14, 2019 17:28

Bronze

Description

The medal's obverse bears bust of Johann Gutenberg facing right. Around, IOHANN GAENSEFLEISCH / VULGO GUTENBERG; on right, BORN / IN MAINZ / GERMANY / BETW. / 1393 - 1400; signed to left of shoulder, Scharff

The reverse shows Gutenberg statue by Robert Hoe. To left, THE FIRST / AMERICAN STATUE / OF GUTENBERG; to right, ERECTED / IN NEW YORK / BY ROBERT HOE 1899.

Robert Hoe III was a printing press magnate and first President of the Grolier Club. He took over the R. Hoe & Co. from his father and built it into one of the pre-eminent printing press manufacturers of the country, becoming very wealthy in the process of doing so.

His love was not just for the business side though. He truly appreciated books and was a life-long collector of rare books and manuscripts. His interest in Gutenberg, the father of his chosen art, was obvious and he owned one of the few known Gutenberg bibles. In 1899 he commissioned Ralph Goddard to design a statue to celebrate Gutenberg and Scharff to commemorate the event with a medal.

This medal is a part of most famous American Museum collections. It measures 70mm in diameter and was struck in both bronze and silver in unknown quantities by the private Christelbauer mint of Austria.

References: Baxter 272

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	70mm
weight	118g
mintage	unknown

material	Silver
edge6	(JC in rectangle) (silvermark)
diameter	70mm
weight	141.8g
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Jan 29, 2018 00:12

Bronze

Description

The medal's obverse bears likeness of George Washington, three quarters left. At upper right, GEORGE WASHINGTON; over right shoulder, BORN 1732 / DIED 1799; signed below, A Scharff.

The reverse depicts the newly erected Hall of Fame for Great Americans building at the University of New York. Above, HALL OF FAME FOR GREAT AMERICANS / ERECTED IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN 1900; in cartouche, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY CHARTERED - MDCCCXXXI / UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS PURCHASED - MDCCCXCI / UNIVERSITY COLLEGE REMOVED MDCCCXCIV / THIS HALL OF FAME WAS COMPLETED MCM / IN HONOR OF GREAT AMERICANS

This medal by famous Austrian medalist Anton Scharff can be regarded as the inaugural medal for the Hall of Fame of Great Americans medal series (which came much later) and is also a very beautiful George Washington medal by itself.

George Washington was immortalized on innumerable medals and coins but I like this one in particular as it shows him out of uniform and frontal rather than in profile. He looks like a regular man who just happened to become the father of a nation.

This medal is a part of most famous American Museum collections. It measures 72mm in diameter and was struck in both bronze and silver in unknown quantities.

References: Baxter 273

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	72mm
mintage	unknown

material	Silver
edge6
diameter	72mm
mintage	unknown

Last modified: Dec 21, 2017 20:18