All Medals

References:   Murtha 474

References:   Cal FM-1972

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of Elbert H. Gary facing left. Around, · THE · GARY · MEMORIAL · MEDAL · ; signed under truncation, PM

The reverse bears blacksmith resting on a stool, leaning on workbench with hammer supported on his knee; blazing forge behind him; anvil at left of his feet; two winged angels holding wreath over his head; beaded border slightly inset from edge; empty cartouche at bottom.

Elbert Henry Gary (1846-1927) was an American lawyer, county judge and corporate officer. He was a key founder of U.S. Steel in 1901, bringing together partners J. P. Morgan, Andrew Carnegie, and Charles M. Schwab. The city of Gary, Indiana, a steel town, was named for him when it was founded in 1906. Gary, West Virginia was also named after him. When trust busting President Theodore Roosevelt said that Gary was head of the steel trust, Gary considered it a compliment.

The medal's reverse references Gary's crucial role in U.S. Steel.  The figure of the blacksmith might well be Hephaistos, the Greek god of smiths.

The circular medallion measures 96.9mm in diameter and was struck in gold and bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintages are reported.

References:   MACo 1929-061, Murtha 247

The obverse bears  woman kneeling in gratitude with old-fashioned broom beneath her, being raised by goddess; trees and sun in background. Above, HOOVER SILVER JUBILEE; at lower left, 1907 / 1932.

The reverse bears image of Hoover's factory. Above, IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION / OF THE COOPERATION TENDERED / DURING THE HOOVER SILVER / JUBILEE 1932;

The Hoover Company was founded as a floor care manufacturer in North Canton, Ohio, in 1908. It so completely dominated the electric vacuum cleaner market in the first half of the 20th century that "hoovering" became synonymous with vacuum cleaning, much as "googling" became synonymous with web searching at the beginning of the 21st century.

I have always loved Sinnock's design for the obverse because it is so completely over the top. While I would never belittle the impact that the invention of the vaccum cleaner had on a woman cleaning house in the 1930s, I always have to smile at the woman's look of abject adoration at the prospect of being freed from toil and at the rising sun promising a brighter future. Yes, Sinnock really crafted a medal in the classic mythological mould for the topic of electric vacuum cleaners!

The obverse was reused for several other medals.

The circular medal measures 70.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York City. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1932-037

The medal's obverse bears conjoined busts of composers Handel and Haydn facing right. Around, · HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY · 1815 - 1915 ·

The reverse bears Society's seal over CENTENARY FESTIVAL / HANDEL AND HAYDN / SOCIETY / 1915

The Handel and Haydn Society s an American chorus and period instrument orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1815, it is the third oldest musical organization in the United States after the Stoughton Musical Society (founded in 1786) and the U.S. Marine Band (founded 1798), and the oldest continually performing arts organization in the United States.

While the medal is unsigned, Dick Johnson attributes it the Swanson based on its style. I am perfectly happy to follow the great numismatist's lead.

The circular medal measures 63.3mm in idiameter and was struck in bronze by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1971-013-013, WR 13

References:   Baxter 240, MACo 1958-007

The paperweight bears Native American chief in full headdress, facing half right. At bottom, SENECA / NEW YORK

Seneca, New York is in the area where the native Seneca people, an Iroquois-speaking people lived.

The paperweight has two half-spherical ball feet at the top, so that it rests at a slight angle. It measures 63.2mm x 101.6mm and was struck by the Whitehad-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey.

The medal's obverse bears rider galloping to right, facing back with pistol held straight out. To left, PONY EXPRESS; to right, TEN DAYS TO / SAN FRANCISCO

The reverse bears settlers with Conestoga wagon drawn by oxen, mountain and sun in background. Below, NEW FRONTIERS / 18 (cattle skull) 49 / © JAMES EARLE FRASER SC

The medal's reverse is very familiar to coin collectors who know the motif from the Oregon Trail half dollar. Fraser was a traditionalist who wrote in the brochure that accompanied the medal:

"... wherever possible we should use the lore of our people. With this thought in mind I selected two of the most romantic, hazardous and important subjects of our pioneer days, the Prairie Schooner and the Pony Express."

This medal was chosen as the 45th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1952.

The circular medals measure 73mm in diameter and were struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company. The reported mintage is 964 pieces in bronze.  There are two versions of the silver medal.  The first is the from the 1970's edition that was limited to 700 pieces with no mintage reported. The second is a telemarketing reissue from 1993 with an estimated mintage of 300 pieces.

References:   MACo 1930-001-45, SoM 45

The medal's obverse bears sword and shield bearing allegorical female figure representing France astride, facing half rightl shield emblazoned with RF; light beans emanating from behind her head; background composed of masses of small soldiers and war machinery, including airplanes and artillery.  Around, · TO · COMMEMORATE · THE · DEFENCE · OF · VERDUN - 1916 ·

The reverse bears two towers of castle fortifications with bridge and moat flanked by French soldiers crossing bayonet-equipped rifles in front of city; female figure carrying laurel crown and trumpet flying above; in exergue, Verdun's coat of arms and streamer reading · ILS · NE · PASSERONT · PAS ·; signed in exergue around bottom right, PAUL MANSHIP ©

The Battle of Verdun lasted from 21 February to 18 December 1916. For 303 days French and German forces battled back and forth, waging the longest and one of the most costly battles in human history. An estimate in 2000 found a total of 714,231 casualties, 377,231 French and 337,000 German, for an average of 70,000 casualties a month; other recent estimates increase the number of casualties to 976,000 during the battle, with 1,250,000 suffered at Verdun during the entire war. In the end, the German advance fell short and the citadel of Verdun became the symbol of a bloody defensive victory.

Congress authorized a special gold medal honoring the sacrifice of the citizens of the French city of Verdun during World War I. The Commission of Fine Arts held a limited competition for medal designs in early 1920, and this medal is one of Paul Manship’s proposed designs.  The alternative design is titled "Defense of Verdun Medallion"; notice the American variant of the spelling of "defense".

The French phrase on the reverse translates to the famous slogan that became associated with the battle of Verdun: "They shall not pass!"

The spelling of "Defence" in the medallion's title is intentional and follows the lettering on the medal. For some reason Manship picked the British variant of "defense" for this medal.

The circular medal measures 103mm in diameter and was cast in bronze.