All Medals

The medal's obverse bears perspective view of IBM typewriters through the decades. Across, 1933- / 1983 / (IBM logo)

The reverse bears legend, 50 Years of / Typewriter / Excellence

It is probably hard for today's generation to understand how big a business typewriters used to be.  Today, we have general purpose laptops, voice transcription is tantalizingly close for everyday life, and laser printers are an affordable item for most American families.

Before computers, typewriters were at the heart of most business operations and many families owned a private typewriter as well.  IBM was a big player in this market and became dominant when they merged electronics with typewriters.  Before electrical typewriters, each keystroke mechanically translated into a stamp hitting an inkstrip onto the paper.  How hard you hit the key defined how solid the letter's imprint was.  You could also jam a typewriter by hitting two keys simultaneously.  Electric typewriters revolutionized typing by using the keystrokes only as signals for the machine to do do the rest.

Hard to believe how much the world has changed since then...

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of Danbury, Connecticut. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1939-021, Marqusee 185

References:   MACo 1971-013-001, WR 1

The medal's obverse bears view of giant mausoleum tower with mountains in background and two human figures on plaza for scale.

The reverse bears calendar panels between columns. At bottom, 2004

Mausollos (377 - 353 BC) was a provincial ruler in the Persian Empire. His provincial capital, Halicarnassus, is located on the Aegean Sea and corresponds with the modern day Turkish city of Budrum. Mausollos' wife and sister conceived of the project and he hired the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius to design the building. It was completed three years after Mausollos' death in 350 BC. 

The word "mausoleum" is derived from this building.

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus  calendar medal was the seventh and last issue in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World series. It was probably designed by Mark Frost and sculpted by Douglas A. Birdwell but, in a breach with earlier calendar medal issues, the pamphlet that came with the medal listed neither designer nor sculptor. The medal is drilled at the bottom to allow it to be pin-mounted on a display stand. 

The circular medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of Dayton, Nevada. No mintages are reported.  The bronze pieces originally sold for $34.95, the silver pieces for $189.

References:   Cal MA-2004

The medal's obverse bears a young woman seated at a lathe, measuring a die.  Around top, * DIES * (symbol) * AND * (symbol) * MEDALS *, in exergue, · JOS · K · DAVISON'S · SONS · / · PHILA · PA · ; signed at right above exergue, J · E · ROINÉ

The reverse bears a seated young man, working the levers of a panthograph on a statue; model of other statue is waiting to right of workbench. Around, · STATUARY· BAS · RELIEFS · REDUCED · AND · ENLARGED · ; signed at right over exergue, J · E · ROINÉ

This medal was struck in bronze by Joseph K. Davison's and Sons of Philadelphia. It is a redesign of an earlier 1909 medal that bore the Dietsch Brothers name instead of the Davison's name.

References:   Baxter 296

References:   Cal FM-1978

References:   Murtha 465

The obverse bears winged angel of mercy above two seated figures, a female representing poverty with face uplifted at left and a male representing crime, with shackled hand at right. In exergue, · ISSUED · BY · THE · AMERICAN · NUMISMATIC · / · AND · ARCHAEOLOGICAL · SOCIETY · / · NEW · YORK ·; signed at lower right, V D BRENNER 98

The reverse bears an oak tree at right with branches and foliage extending across entire field to left. Over foliage, nineteen-line inscription, · TO · COMMEMORATE · / · THE · SESSION · OF · THE · 25TH · / · NATIONAL · CONFERENCE · OF · / · CHARITIES · AND · CORRECTION · / · IN · THE · CITY · OF · NEW · YORK · / · MAY · 18TH · 25TH · 1898 · / · PRESIDENT · / · WILLIAM · RHINELANDER · STEWART · / · NEW · YORK · / · VICE · PRESIDENTS · / · CHARLES · R · HENDERSON · · THOMAS · E · ELLISON · / · CHICAGO · · FORT WAYNE · / · ISAIAH · JOSEPHI · / · NEW · YORK · / · TREASURER · / · LEVI · L · BARBOUR · DETROIT · / · GENERAL · SECRETARY · / · HASTINGS · H · HART · / · ST. PAUL ·; signed at lower right, V.D.BRENNER

The circular medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze, silver and gold. The reported mintages are 1 gold piece, 30 pieces in silver and 253 pieces in bronze.

References:   ANS 12, Baxter 118, Marqusee 85

References:   MACo 1971-013-006, WR 6