All Medals

This medal's obverse bears Mercury at right, cornucopia at his feet, gazing scene with sailing ship, and group of people at left; large house and sun in background.  Around, FIRST CENTENARY S.E.L. MADURO & SONS / 1837 - CURACAO - N - W - I - 1937

The reverse bears front facing bust of founder before seascape with anchor to his left and dolphin to his right. Around, S · E · L · MADURO FOUNDER - · 24TH JANUARY 1837 ·

The company was established by Salomon Elias Levy Maduro in 1837. He started his own ship's agency and bunkering services company in the port of Curacao. During the years that followed his sons joined him in the business. Under the name of S.E.L. Maduro & Sons it evolved into a holding company with interests in real estate, travel and leisure activities, and a variety of services related to the shipping and transportation industry.

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

References:   MACo 1936-031

The medal's obverse bears African slave with broken chains dangling from raised, shackled wrists. Around top, CENTENARIO DE LA ABOLICION DE LA ESCLAVITUD EN PUERTO RICO; at bottom, 1873 - 1973; signed at bottom right, B. 1973

The reverse bears scroll and laurel branch. On scroll, En homenaje a / los que sufrieron / los rigores de la / esclavitud y a todos / los que en Puerto Rico / y España lucharon / por su abolición.; around, INSTITUTO DE CULTURA PUERTORRIQUEÑA

The medal was issued by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, a governmental agency created in 1955. Among other duties, it manages the general archives and the national library.

Tomas Batista, a native Puerto Rican artist, designed the obverse and Ramon Gordils, one of MACo's staff artists, did the reverse. 

The circular medal measures 50mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1973-070

References:   BG 24

The medal's obverse bears Pan playing pipes over a skull. Around, INGENITA LEVITAS (levity is inborn); below, signature JC in a square. The reverse bears a man holding a mirror or mask. Around, ET ERUDITA VANITAS (and vanity is learned); below signature JC in a square.

In the 1980's Cook was slowly drifting towards darker subject matter and the skull on this medal is a precursor of things to come. By 1987 his FIDEM catalog entry stated that "his works represent an exploration into various images and manifestations of death."

In 1982 he was still transitioning and wrote in the medal's brochure:

"This brief couplet from Cicero's Pro Flacco presents a profound opposition of the dionysian and appollonian aspects of man's nature. Being deeply moved both by the wit and the simple beauty employed in the fusing together of thse diverse elements, I have tried in sculptural terms to achieve a like coupling."

This medal was chosen as the 105th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1982. It measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of Danbury, Connecticut. The reported mintage is 750 pieces in bronze.

References:   MACo 1930-001-150, SoM 105

References:   MACo 1927-041

References:   MACo 1930-001-087, SoM 87

The dagger-shaped medal's obverse bears portrait of Martha Graham, facing left on a round overlay. Signed at bottom of hilt, LEONDA FINKE

The reverse bears nude female figure with dagger raised above her head, in dance pose, one leg raised high along the edge of the medal.

Martha Graham (1894-1991) was a world-famous American dancer and choreographer. Her modern reinterpretation of the tale of Agamemnon and Clytemenestra premiered in 1958 and gained rave reviews. It was so successful that it even had a limited run on Broadway.

The medal measures 97mm x 102mm and was cast in bronze in a limited edition. 

The medal's obverse bears an allegorical female figure holding a lamp and an olive branch in outstretched arms, standing in front of a globe, clouds below.

The reverse bears two cornucopias arranged like wreath, tied with ribbon at bottom. In center, PAX; signed around lower right, TIFFANY & CO.

The design on the obverse is based on a medal by J.G. Hancock celebrating the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. 

The circular medal measures 29.1mm in diameter and was issued by an organizing group called the American Peace Centenary Committee. It was struck in sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. of New York.  No mintage is reported. 

There is also a better known larger diameter medal with a different reverse.

Many thanks to the Numismatic Department of the Yale University Art Gallery for their generosity and support in making this medal available to me for research.