The obverse bears a bust of George Widener, a prominent Philadelphia financier, horse breeder, and director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts who died in 1912 on the Titanic. Around, GEORGE - D - WIDENER - MEMORIAL.
The reverse bears a nude figure kneeling beside a sphinx and holding a mallet and chisel, associating the prizewinner's work with thousands of years of sculpture. Around, FOUNDED - BY - THE - PENNSYLVANIA - ACADEMY - OF - THE - FINE - ARTS - FOR - SCULPTURE. Signed ALBERT - LAESSLE.
The George D. Widener Memorial award was established in 1912 by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to honor one of its major benefactors. The award recognizes the "most meritorious work of Sculpture modeled by an American citizen and shown in the Annual Exhibition." Laessle himself won this medal in 1918.
The golden variant shown above was awarded to Seymour Lipton in 1968.
The medal measures 50.5mm in diameter. It is struck in fine gold for the award's recipient and in bronze for general release. No mintages are reported.