The medal's obverse bears a mother figure reminiscent of Mary at left holding a baby while priest at right performs the christening, open Bible held in one hand. In exergue, incuse HENRY ERNST LINCOLN LUHRS / 7 JUNE 1931; (PM monogram) at left.
The reverse bears dove before sun over christening basin; stars around circumference.
This is a very elegant medal and it caught my attention for two reasons. First, I could not make sense of what I assumed to be the artist's signature at left and second, the dedication is for the son of prominent numismatist and collector Henry Ernst Luhrs. I have since identified the medal's designer as Pietro Montana; not a terribly big surprise given the Christian subject matter and the date.
Dick Johnson dates this medal to 1934, but the Luhrs family either used it for a baptism in 1931 or post-dated the medal once it became available. Either way, it is a beautiful religious medal that goes with several others to form a loose spiritual series. Beyond baptism, there was also a set of medals for boys' and girls' confirmation, a medal for engagement, and finally a medal for marriage.
References: MACo 1934-027
