The medal's obverse depicts a tree in front of waterfall and wilderness in center field. Around, (star) CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
Around, 18 maple leaves; incuse dedication in center field: IN RECOGNITION OF / TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LOYAL / SERVICE THIS AWARD IS / PRESENTED YO / (inscribed to CORNELIUS C. BARNES) / CANADIAN / INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY / AND AFFILIATES / 1945
The company was incorporated January 31, 1898, upon the merger of 18 pulp and paper mills in the northeastern United States. Its founders and first two presidents were William Augustus Russell and Hugh J. Chisholm. The newly formed company supplied 60 percent of all newsprint in the country.
This is another very nice Chambellan medal that exists in different variants. The U.S. version of this medal differs in the text on the obverse and the reverse. There also apparently exists a French language version of this medal.
Dick Johnson dates this medal to 1948 but this piece clearly predates that year by three years. The numismatist Harry Waterson offered the observation that the dies might actually have been transferred to the Medallic Art Company from a different mint and that the year 1948 in MACo's records only indicates when that transfer occurred, not when the dies were created. This would of course mean that early instances of the medal were not struck by the Medallic Art Company at all. Further information would be very welcome.
The medal measures 62mm in diameter. It is not known which mint struck this particular medal but in later years the Medallic Art Company of New York struck this medal in bronze. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1948-015
