eagle

The medal's obverse bears seated female personification of Liberty at right; the other female figure with her head covered with veil is standing at left, holding a sword; at lower left is kneeling nude male figure. Around, COMMEMORATING · THE. 250 · ANNIVERSARY · OF · JEWISH · SETTLEMENT · IN · THE · UNITED · STATES ·; signed at left edge, ISIDORE KONTI SC ·

The medal's reverse bears standing draped female figure, crowned with laurel wreath, holding tablet inscribed: "1655/1905"; tree and eagle perched upon rock are at upper left; legend in Hebrew above. Signed in exergue, I K 1905

Two medals in gold were presented to the two U.S. Presidents Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt as part of a ceremony at New York's Carnegie Hall that banker and philanthropist Jacob Schiff had organized in honor of the 250th anniversary of the settlement of Jews in America.

President Cleveland's gold medal sold at auction in 2010 for $69,000.  President Roosevelt's gold medal changed hands in a private sale for an undisclosed amount.

The circular medal measures 76.1mm in diameter. Its mintage is reported as 2 pieces in gold, 36 in silver and 284 in bronze. 

Most of the information about this medal came from here.

References:   Baxter 305

The medal's obverse bears a nude male figure, maybe Hercules, wrestling a powerful steer by the horns.

The medal's reverse bears perched eagle before diminuitive buildings.  Across lower half, ALLEN GEWALTEN ZUM / TRUTZ SICH ERHALTEN / NIMMER SICH BEUGEN / KRÄFTIG SICH ZEIGEN / RUFET DIE ARME / DER GOETTER / HERBEI; signed above exergue, R BOSSELT

The poem on the reverse is the second verse of Goethe's "Cowardly Thoughts." While the first verse lists negative behaviors resulting in disaster, the second verse provides positive patterns.  It translates roughly to:

To persist, despite all powers arrayed against you,
to never bow down,
to always show strength,
will raise the arms of the gods on your behalf.

This is a beautiful and relatively rare medal.  The interplay between the dark patina and the modeling of the muscles gives the medal an unusual depth. The medal was used as an award by the German section at the International Exhibition in Brussels in 1910.  Bosselt seemed to be en vogue at that time.  His Athena graced the reverse of the American Numismatic Society's medal in the same year.

The circular medal measures 65mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Carl Poellath Company of Schrobenhausen, Germany.

References:   ANS 32

References:   ANS 31, Baxter 316, MACo 1917-012, Marqusee 201

The obverse bears a bust (l.) of Richard Byrd wearing aviator's goggles emerging from a bank of clouds. Across, COMMEMORATING THE CONQUEST OF THE POLES / BY REAR ADMIRAL RICHARD E. BYRD / AND HIS ASSOCIATES / PRESENTED BY / THE AERONAUTICAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF AMERICA; along bottom edge, MAY 9 1926 - NOVEMBER 29 1929.

The reverse bears eagle perched on airborne Ford tri-motor; polar scene below, Signed at bottom right, KILENYI.

The bronze medal measures 82.4mm (3.25") in diameter and was struck by Whitehead & Hoag. During the presentation banquet one gold medal was given to Admiral Byrd, his associates received silver medals, and all other guests received bronze medals. The mintage is 1,000 pieces in bronze, 65 in silver-plate and 1 in 10kt gold. 

According to Harry Waterson, the undisputed Kilenyi specialist, a piece in sterling silver might exist. It might be that an initial production run or a sample piece was struck in sterling silver but then, due to the Great Depression, subsequent pieces were struck in much less cheaper silver-plated base metal.  Any updates on this question would be highly welcome.

References:   Marqusee 217

The medal's obverse, designed by Mario Korbel, bears St. George slaying a dragon with Swastika on its wing. Around, ·· SAINT GEORGE ·· / OF ENGLAND; signed under dragon, MK

The reverse, designed by Paul Manship, bears a displayed American Eagle flanked by two stars. Around, · UNITED · WE · STAND · / · AMERICA ·; signed under eagles foot on right, PM

This medal was issued for the British-American Ambulance Corps. A companion piece executed entirely by Korbel combined this obverse with a reverse utilizing a thumbs-up — forward to victory motif.

The circular medal measures 38.5mm in diameter and is holed for supension.

References:   MACo 1941-036-02

The medal's obverse bears eagle gripping in its talons a wreath of thistles. Around, MATHIESON / CHEMICALS

The reverse bears chemical plant with silos and smokestacks. Around edge, THE MATHIESON ALKALI WORKS / MANUFACTURERS OF CHEMICALS; around inner field, RESEARCH · QUALITY · SERVICE; under factory, CELEBRATING FIFTY YEARS / OF SERVICE TO AMERICAN / INDUSTRY AND PUBLIC / HEALTH / 1892 - 1942

The medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in Bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1942-017

References:   MACo 1947-023

This medal's obverse bears Pegasus in flight above buildings representing historical landmarks in architecture; from left to right, the Sphinx, the Parthenon, the Coliseum, and skyscrapers with two eagles perched on top. The buildings rest on overlapping branches growing from architects' and sculptors' tools in exergue. Around top, NATIONAL - SCULPTURE - SOCIETY; over Sphinx, 3500 B.C.; over Parthenon, 438 B.C., over Coliseum, 80 A.D.; on sky scraper, 20 / CENTURY; above exergue, HENRY HERING / MEMORIAL MEDAL

The reverse bears conjoined eagles, one with wings spread, both perching on plinth; oak branches on both sides. At top, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN / MATT 5:16; across, AWARDED AS A MARK OF DISTINCTION / FOR OUTSTANDING COOPERATION / BETWEEN ARCHITECT AND SCULPTOR; signed in exergue to left and right of plinth, ALBINO - MANCA

The National Sculpture Society's Henry Hering Memorial Award (or Henry Hering Art and Architecture Award as it is now called) was created in 1959 and is awarded for excellence in an architectural project in which the architect collaborated with the sculptor and owner of a site. The medal is not given annually; it is awarded when the circumstance arises. Originally, there were three categories: regligious, monumental, and commercial. The jury is composed of three sculptors and two architects.

The award is named for Henry Hering (1874-1949), a brilliant architectural sculptor who had a studio in New York but whose most famous works are mainly located in the mid-west.

One interesting anecdote about Hering involves a plane crash in 1945. A military B-25 had crashed into the Empire State Building. While most of the wreckage had either embedded itself in the building or fallen to the ground, one engine continued on its way for several blocks and finally ended its voyage in Henry Hering's penthouse, destroying approximately $75,000 worth of work.

This particular medal was awarded for work in the religious category in 1961. The project was the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The recipients were Eugene F. Kennedy, Jr. of Maginnis Walsh & Kennedy (the Boston architect) and Francis Cardinal Spellman representing the Catholic Church (the owner). The same year, Paul Manship won the award in the monumental category, along with Eric Gugler of Gugler, Kimball & Husted for the American war memorial at Anzio-Nettuno in Italy.

The circular medal measures 76.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Many thanks to Lorraine Burns for the beautiful pictures and the sleuthing involved in tracking down this particular medal's detailed history.

References:   MACo 1959-031