All Medals

The medal's obverse bears a Native American in feather headdress, facing left. Around top, LUCKY PENNY

The reverse bears historic view of Fort Dearborn. Under building, FORT DEARBORN; around, A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / 1833 - CHICAGO - 1933

The circular medal measures 56.6mm in diameter and was struck in on copper-plated base metal. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Edwin Forrest, facing left. Signed at bottom, A.W. JONES DEL. F.B. SMITH & HARTMANN N.Y. FECIT.

The reverse holds wreath with ribbon bearing the famous actor's roles wrapped around it. In center field, BORN IN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PA / . / MARCH 9TH 1806. / JUST TO / OPPOSERS / AND TO FRIENDS / SINCERE; dies signed at bottom, F.B.S. & H. N.Y.

Edwin Forest (1806-1872) was a celebrated American actor.  He was perhaps the first native American to rise to the top-tier of Shakespear performers and his rivalry with British Shakespear actor William Charles Macready was legendary. 

While most actors' rivalries don't result in casualties, Forrest and Macready's rivalry played out in a setting of Ameircan nativist fervor and the so-called Astor Place Riot was the consequence. Foreigners, and particularly the British, were deeply unpopular in America in the 1840's.  Nevertheless, most actors in serious roles were British, which often made them the lightning rod for popular anger. With this as the backdrop, the rivalry between the two leading men, one British, one American, gained a new dimension.  

On May 7, 1849, three nights before the riot, Forrest's supporters bought hundreds of tickets to the top level of the Astor Opera House, and brought Macready's performance of Macbeth to a grinding halt by throwing at the stage rotten eggs, potatoes, apples, lemons, shoes, bottles of stinking liquid, and ripped up seats. The performers persisted in the face of hissing, groans, and cries of "Shame, shame!" and "Down with the codfish aristocracy!", but were forced to perform in pantomime, as they could not make themselves heard over the crowd. Meanwhile, at Forrest's May 7 performance, the audience rose and cheered when Forrest spoke Macbeth's line "What rhubarb, senna or what purgative drug will scour these English hence?"

Macready wanted to leave after this disasterous performance but upper-class, educated Americans persuaded him to stay and perform once more, so on May 10, Macready once again took the stage as Macbeth. Police felt unable to control the crowds and called in the National Guard ahead of time.  Tamany Hall on the other side prepared by agitating for action.  During and after the performance a rioting crowd of around 10,000 faced police and military. Finally several volleys were fired into the crowd at point-blank range, resulting in over 25 dead and more than 120 injured.

The circular medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by F. B. Smith & Hartmann of New York City. Stack's & Bowers states that this medal is very rare but no exact mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Francis Cardinal Spellman, facing left. Around, ✰ FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN ✰ / GOLDEN JUBILEE; signed over shoulder at right, © ALBINO / MAN / CA

The reverse bears Cardinal Spellman's coat of arms. Underneath, MAY 14; around, ✰ ORDINATION TO THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD ✰ / ROME 1916-1966 NEW YORK;

The circular medal measures 63.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1966-003

The medal's obverse bears a crowned hawk perched on a dead pigeon. Around, THE DOVES ELECT - A HAWK THEIR KING

The reverse bears a dog seated on rocky outcropping, l., facing its reflection in rippling water. Around, LOSE NOT THE SUBSTANCE FOR THE SHADOW; signed at bottom, E. AMATEIS ©

Amateis selected the fables for "their enduring timeliness and left the interpretation up to the beholder, as best suits his sociological, political, or economic inclinations."

The two fables depicted are:

The Kite, Hawk, and Pigeons

The Pigeons find themselves persecuted by the Kite, made choice of the Hawk for their Guardian. The Hawk set up for their protector; but under the countenance of that Authority, makes more havoc in the Dovehouse in two Days than the Kite could have done in twice as many months.

The story's moral: Tis a dangerous thing for People to call in a powerful and ambitious Man for their Protector; and upon the Clamour of here and there a private Person, to hazard the whole Community.

A Dog and a Shadow

As a Dog was crossing a River with a morsel of Food in his Mouth, he saw (as he thought) another Dog under the Water, upon the very same adventure. He never consider'd that the one was only the Image of the other, but out of Greediness to get both, he chops at the Shadow, and loses the Substance.

The story's moral: All covet, all lose; which may serve for a Reproof to those that govern their Lives by Fancy and Appetite, without consulting the Honour and Justice of the Case.

This medal was chosen as the 21st issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It measures 73mm in diameter and has a reported mintage of 921 pieces in silver-plated bronze. Of the 700 authorized silver medals a reported 100 were struck in the 1970's.

References:   MACo 1930-001-021, Marqusee 7, SoM 21

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of younf Maxfield Parrish, facing right. Around, at left and right, · MAXFIELD · / · PARRISH ·

The reverse bears rearing Pegasus facing right before sun.

Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966) was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the 20th century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery.

Parrish and Manship were both members of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' Cornish Art Colony in Cornish, New Hampshire. Saint-Gaudens had started the art colony in 1885 and attracted a group of friends, assistants, promising young art students and hangers-on.  Parrish and his wife moved to Cornish in 1898 and built a home that was later nicknamed "The Oaks."  The home was surrounded by beautiful landscapes that inspired many of Parrish’s drawings.

The art colony started falling apart after Saint-Gaudens' death in 1907 but Parrish and Manship had another geographical location in common.  Both shared a love for the Cape Anne area of Massachusetts. Parrish had lived in Annisquam for a while and Manship fell in love with the areas as well and bought a vacation home in Gloucester.

The circular medallion measures around 84mm in diameter and is cast in bronze. The depicted medallions are early designs.  In the finished medallion Pegasus is more detailed and the reverse is signed and dated.

References:   Murtha 65

The medal's obverse bears kneeling archer with drawn bow, facing right; sun at his feet, stars above, cape flowing over his left shoulder. Signed at lower left, (GSC monogram)

The reverse bears a view of of the Municipal Building of Springfield, Massachusetts over two branches of laurel and oak. Around top, · 1636 · SPRINGFIELD · 1852; across, TO / COMMEMORATE / THE DEDICATION OF / THE MVNICIPAL BVILDINGS / OF THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD / · MASSACHVSETTS ON THE / EIGHTH AND NINTH DAYS OF DECEMBER / IN THE YEAR OF OVR LORD · NINE- /TEEN HVNDRED AND THIRTEEN; under buildings, 1913

This medal represents an interesting collaboration: Gail Corbett designed the medal's obverse and Felix Weil, one of the founders of the Medallic Art Company, the reverse.

This circular medal measures 63.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

Many thanks to the Numismatic department of the Yale University Art Gallery for their generosity and support in granting me access to this medal for research.

References:   MACo 1913-009

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of Isidore Konti facing left. Around, ····· ISIDORE · KONTI ····· SCULPTOR ····· MCMXV

The reverse bears figures of old, toga-wearing man and boy holding lyre walking together towards right; bird behind them, sun above, all within beaded border. Around, · GUIDE · PHIL-OSOPHER · AND · FRIEND ·; signed under arm of older man at right, ·PAUL· / ·MAN / SHIP·

Isidore Konti (1862-1938) was a Vienna-born (of Hungarian parents) sculptor. He began formal art studies at the age of 16 when he entered the Imperial Academy in Vienna, where he studied under Edmund von Hellmer.  Konti moved to the United States sometime in the early 1890s where his skills were much in demand during the great international exhibitions.

Konti took the young Manship under his wings when he moved from Philadelphia to New York, right after he had finished his studies with Charles Grafly at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In the years from 1908 to 1909 Manship worked as Konti's assistant. Konti encouraged him to submit his work and Manship became the youngest artist to win the American Prix de Rome. This set the stage for studies in Italy and Greece, and firmed up Manship's everlasting devotion to classical themes.

The circular medallion measures 90mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. The number of cast pieces is not known.

References:   Murtha 64

The obverse bears conjoined busts of Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband Archer M. Huntington facing right. Above, AMICI - HVMANI - GENERIS; below, ARCHER M. HUNTINGTON / ANNA HYATT HUNTINGTON

The reverse bears Anna Hyatt Huntington's Fighting Stallions sculpture, one rider hanging on to mane of his steed, the other about to be trampled under his horse's hooves. In exergue, BROOKGREEN / GARDENS; at lower right, ANNA HYATT / HUNTINGTON

This was the first of the prestigious Brookgreen Gardens member medals issued in 1973.

Carl Paul Jennewein was a sculptor, trustee and chairman at Brookgreen Gardens and designed the first issue in the member medal series.

The medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   BG 1