Medals bearing Animals

The medal's obverse bears a harnessed hackney horse, facing right. Around, AMERICAN HACKNEY / HORSE SOCIETY

The reverse bears laurel wreath, inscribed with: Awarded to / 1836 CZARINA / Exhibited by / Charles E Bunn / AT / Chicago Ill. / 1910

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 buffalo on mound, palm tree and four female figures representing the three native American and colonial European cultures. In exergue, THE THREE AMERICAS; above exergue at right, PHILA.

The reverse bears wreath of corn, cotton and tobacco around legend. In center field, AWARDED BY / THE / NORTH CENTRAL / AND / SOUTH AMERICAN / EXPOSITION / 1885 - 86 / NEW ORLEANS.

This is a very handsome exposition medal. I find it particularly interesting how the design incorporates four figures instead of the more commonly expected three.  Thus the figures become representative of  culture rather than geography.

The circular medal measures 73.2mm in diameter. No mintage is known.

The medal's obverse bears Liberty walking alongside a Buffalo. Around top, PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION; in exergue, field for dedication.

The medal's reverse bears South-American and North-American Native Americans smoking peace pipe together, shields with representations of their respective continents at their feet. Above, BVFFALO / VSA MCMI

The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York from May 1st through November 2nd, 1901. The exposition is most remembered for the shooting of U.S. President William McKinley. Anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him on September 6th while he was visiting the fair.

The medal exists in plain bronze, silver, gilted bronze, and gold variants. The silver and gold variants are very rare but no mintages have been reported. A golden piece was auctioned in 2017 by Rago Fine Arts for over $40,000. 

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was manufactured by the Gorham Silver Company.

References:   Baxter 106, Marqusee 250

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