All Medals

The obverse bears an artfully draped couple embracing, woman in foreground. Legend reads OMNIA / VINCIT / AMOR (Love conquers all). The reverse bears the same couple as seen from the other side. Legend reads MAN / -KIND / LOVE A / LOVER. Signed AI /TK / EN.

The brochure which accompanied the medal had the following words from the artist:

"In making a medal or medallion the main problem is to add, if possible, to its metallic alloy the one ingredient which makes bronze imperishable - Beauty - Beauty in thought and execution. For Beauty inspires Love - Love creates Beauty."

This medal was chosen as the 15th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1937. It measures 73mm in diameter and 1,160 pieces were struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Around 100 silver medals were struck from the same dies in the 1970s.

References:   MACo 1930-001-015, Marqusee 4, SoM 15

The plaquette bears sword-wielding goddess of victory striding left, facing right; behind her, eagle swooping towards left edge where sun is rising. Around top, on scroll, VICTORY; at bottom, ART / WAR / RELIEF

Paul Manship was a fierce patriot and supporter of the Red Cross' humanitarian efforts in Europe. On the U.S. homefront, he was a member of auxiliary 282 of the New York Chapter of the Red Cross, also called "Art War Relief."  That group assisted the war effort by raising funds via the sale of donated art, by creating special patriotic art, and by painting landscape targets for the training of artillery personnel.

Manship's plaquette is a beautiful example of art -deco bas-relief. It usually comes mounted on a black bakelit base and can be found in original bronze or patinated green variants.  It is part of many museum collections world-wide.

The plaquette itself measures 60mm by 76mm and is made of bronze. No mintage is reported.

References:   Baxter 368

This medal was the first issue of the prestigious Circle of Friends of the Medallion series in 1909. The obverse bears conjoined busts of Henry Hudson in ruff and Robert Fulton in nineteeth-century civil dress. Around, HENRY HUDSON * ROBERT FULTON; in right field, signed J F / (acanthus ornament) / MCMIX

The reverse bears Hudson River with Halve Maene and North River Steamboat sailing past modern skyline; nymph reclining on cloud holds glowing lightbulb. Above, dates MDCIX * MDCCCVII; below, MCMIX

The Hudson-Fulton celebration was a regionally significant event that left a multitude of coins, medals, posters and other memorabilia in its wake. It celebrated the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River and the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton's first successful commercial application of the paddleboat steamer.

The medal measures 70mm in diameter and was struck by Davidson of Philadelphia.

References:   CoF 1, Marqusee 141

The medal's obverse bears female figure holding stylized caduceus in one hand, other held high, pointing to the right; symbols of industry and agriculture including steam train, telegraph wires, factories, corn cobs in background and at figure's feet. Around, TRANS-MISSISSIPPI AND INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION. / OMAHA; below, U.S.A / 1898

The medal's reverse bears wreath fashioned from two branches.  Below, S.D. CHILDS & CO. ENGRAVERS. CHICAGO.

The circular medal was struck by S. D. Childs & Co. of Chicago.

The uniface medal bears Demeter, Greek goddess of Agriculture, aided in her efforts by Sun, Sea, and Soil, bearing bundles of grain; scientist and chemical laboratory equipment in background.  Around, FRITZSCHE BROTHERS, INCORPORATED / 1871 · SEVENTY-FIFTH · ANNIVERSARY · 1946

Fritzsche Brothers was established on August 28, 1871, at 62 Cedar Street, New York City, as a subsidiary of chemical maker Schimmel & Co., of Leipzig, Germany, for the purpose of importing and selling essential oils. After more than 80 years in business the company sold itself to Dodge & Olcott, which in turn was bought by German chemical giant BASF, which then sold the unit off to Givaudan.

The anniversary medal bears the design of a previously inaugurated Fritzsche Brothers award medal.  As the brochure accompanying the medal explained, combining Demeter with a modern scientist symbolizes the chemical industry's higher purpose of "converting Nature's bounty to the needs of Man."

The medal usually comes mounted on a wooden paperweight. Establishing the weight and potential edge markings would require the object's disassembly, which I didn't want to do. If anyone has a loose medal and can take the measurements, I'd appreciate the missing data.

References:   MACo 1946-011

References:   MACo 1963-001-039, GANYU 39

The medal's obverse bears two giant LNG tankers on the ocean.

The reverse bears islands of Japan and Indonesia with labeled routes of tanker ships.  Around, ENERGY TRANSPORTATION CORPORATION / AMERICAN LEGION MERCHANT MARINE AWARD; ship names LNG AQUARIUS, LNG ARIES, LNG CAPRICORN, LNG GEMINI, LNG LEO, LNG LIBRA, LNG TAURUS, LNG VIRGO; dated at bottom, 1985

The antecedent to the modern ETG companies was Marine Transport Lines, then the world's fifth largest shipping company, sold in order to form the first of the modern ETG Companies, Energy Transportation Group, Inc., in 1972. ETG financed, constructed and operated a US$1 billion fleet of eight 125kcm LNG ships which at its peak moved annually over 15% of all LNG produced in the world. ETG shipping companies pioneered modern ship and port safety techniques, operating procedures, certifications and insurance concepts for LNG shipping still used today.

During its 25-year Indonesia-to-Japan trades, ETG ships safely delivered over 3,000 cargoes without any cargo loss. This record represented the most LNG shipped worldwide by a single fleet.

The circular medal measures 76.5mm and was struck in a base metal. No mintage is reported.

The uniface medal bears bust of Captain Arthur Rostron facing right. Around, S·S·TITANIC (laurel branch) APRIL·15·1912 (laurel branch) S·S·CARPATHIA / CAPTAIN · ROSTRON; signed to left and right of bust, © - SPICER·/SIMSON

The edge is marked with a faint "41"

On April 15, 1912, Arthur Henry Rostron (1869-1940) was a captain for the Cunard Line when his ship, the ocean liner RMS Carpathia, received a distress signal from the White Star liner RMS Titanic. The Titanic had struck an iceberg and was sinking rapidly.  Rostron immediately ordered his ship to race for the sinking Titanic.  His engineering crew coaxed the Carpathia's engines up to 17.5 knots, 3.5 knots over its rated speed. He took a huge risk racing through dense ice at night but he knew what was at stake when a major liner was sinking in freezing water in the middle of the Atlantic.  In the 3.5 hours which it took to arrive at the Titanic's radioed position he gave 23 orders that would later prove to have saved lives. His crew prepared blankets, food and drinks and ended up rescuing 710 survivors from the freezing waters of the Atlantic.

Rostron was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, the American Cross of Honor, and medals by the Liverpool and New York Shipwreck Societies.  Rostron would eventually rise to the position of Commodore of the Cunard Line and served as a British Naval Officer during World War I.

The medal was privately commissioned by Titanic survivors Margaret Brown and Dennis Telluride.

The circular medal measures 51mm. Only 500 pieces were struck in bronze.

The medal's obverse bears six carousel animals including horse, merlion, zebra, lion, and stag, arranged in circle around heavily ornamented edge. Poles bear labeled flags at center, together reading "QUOD / POSSUM / AGAM / EGI / QUOD / POTUI." Signed at bottom, (JOV monogram)

The reverse bears calendar panel with decorations reminiscent of fair attractions. At bottom, 1988

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in a variety of materials by the Medallic Art Company. No mintages are reported and I am merely speculating that other variants exist.

References:   MACo 1987-251, Cal MA-1988