All Medals

The medal's obverse bears young woman, r., holding staff with furled American flag. Around, FOR GOD AND COUNTRY / SEMPER / FIDELIS; signed and dated to left of woman, (RTM monogram) / 1925 / ©

The reverse bears American eagle over cartouche and American Legion seal. In cartouche, AMERICAN LEGION / SCHOOL AWARD / COURAGE CHARACTER SERVICE / COMPANIONSHIP SCHOLARSHIP

The American Legion was formed in February 1919 by three officers of the American Expeditionary Forces in Paris. Congress chartered the organization in September of the same year and the group became very influential, playing the leading role in drafting and passing the so-called "GI Bill."

The circular medal measures 63.4mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1925-046

The medal's obverse bears loin cloth-wearing Judah, facing, holding a lion by its mane; sun to lower left. At upper left, JUDAH; signed in exergue.

The reverse bears Star of David, symbols and names from all twelve medals. In center, THE / TWELVE / TRIBES OF / ISRAEL

Judah, Jacob's fourth-born son, saved his brother Joseph from death and became a symbol of bravery and a leader of men. While he had plotted with his other brothers against Joseph, he secretly devised the plan to release him from the bottom of a well in which he wanted Joseph placed, rather than having him killed. Quoted from the collectors box:

"You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise."

Jacob compared Judah's bravery to that of a lion and said:

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah... tribute shall come to him and the homage of people be his."

This is the fourth medal in Elizabeth Weistrop's Twelve Tribes of Israel series. The circular medal measures 43mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintages are reported.

References:   MACo 1969-100-003, TToI 4

The plaquette bears seated female figure, l., holding vase in both hands; to her left, view of Gorham factory in Providence, Rhode Island; above two cherubs flanking Gorham stamps consisting of lion, anchor and Gothic letter G. In exergue, GORHAM MFG CO. / PROVIDENCE R. I.; signed at right bottom, E. E. CODMAN Sc

This handsome little plaquette might have been a salesman's sample of the products Gorham could produce. It is struck on a very thin planchet, maybe to keep the weight down.

The rectangular plaquette mesaures 95.8mm x 46mm and was struck in bronze by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Jones in uniform, facing right. Around, JOANNI  PAVLO JONES / CLASSIS PRAEFECTO. / COMITIA AMERICANA.; signed under truncation, DUPRE. F.

The reverse bears smoking Bonhomme Richard, holed and with broken mast, facing left, in front of the foremast and bowsprit of Serapis; fighting sailors and rubbish are visible in the water and Alliance resides in the background. Around, HOSTIVM NAVIBVS - CAPTIS AVT FVGATIS.; in exergue, AD ORAM SCOTIAE XXIII SEPT. / M.DCCLXXVIIII · / DUPRE. F.

The Battle of Flamborough Head was a naval battle that took place on 23 September 1779 in the North Sea off the coast of Yorkshire between a combined Franco-American squadron, led by Continental Navy officer John Paul Jones, and two British escort vessels protecting a large merchant convoy. It became one of the most celebrated naval actions of the war, despite its relatively small size and considerable dispute over what had actually occurred.  Regardless, the myth of the battle is as important or maybe even more important than the actual battle.

Jones commanded a small squadron from the ship Bonhomme Richard, a converted India Trader.  When they ran into a large Baltic trade convoy under the protection of the HMS Seraphis and the hired vessel Countess of Scarborough,

Jones decided to attack.  With his ship outgunned and outclassed, he strove to equalize the odds by locking the ships together and engaging in close quarters combat.  With Jones' ship burning and sinking beneath him and most of his crew killed, so the story has it, Jones rejected requests for surrender by shouting "I have not yet begun to fight!" and "I may sink but I'll be damned if I strike!" 

When a lucky grenade caused a chain reaction of explosions on the British vessel, the USS Alliance finally joined the fight and the Seraphis surrendered.

The battle, while strategically unimportant, had a huge effect on the morale of the American and French Navies. The seemingly invincible British navy could be defeated in messy, gutsy battle.

As all Comitia Americana medals, there are numerous restrikes, both by the French Mint and the U.S. Mint, and I am not a specialist in this area of numismatics. Maybe a reader can help out with a guide on how to distinguish originals from later copies.

References:   ANS 24, Baxter 300, Marqusee 333

References:   MACo 1967-151-005

The medal's obverse bears rising sun behind long distance view of old Pittsburgh with three rivers and wooded hills in foreground.  Around top, (sixteen stars) / SCAIFE COMPANY / FOUNDED 1802 PITTSBURGH

The reverse bears view of modern Pittsburgh with bridges and skyscrapers in upper half.  in lower half, towering machine with worker at left and welder at right. Around, PITTSBURGH'S OLDEST MANUFACTURING FIRM / 1802 (S logo in circle) 1952; in exergue, ONE HUNDRED / AND FIFTY YEARS / OF DISTINGUISHED / SERVICE (acorn) (acorn) TO / COMMERCE AND / INDUSTRY (acorn) (acorn) (acorn); signed and dated at right over exergue, AMORE 52

The circular medal measures 75.9mm in dameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1952-053

The medal's obverse bears desktop computer and globe over three fields depicting activity from beneath the ocean, space, and computer circuitry; fields with transparent enamel inlays in blue, olive, and red. Around, OPENING DOORS TO NEW FRONTIERS / 2001

The reverse bears month panels on small circular fields arranged in cruciform shape; in corners the digits of the year 2 0 0 1

As the brochure that accompanied the medal describes:

"The design depicts the impact of technology on global interpersonal communication and the environment. A deep relief sculpted earth and computer image are superimposed over an enameled background of the expanding frontiers to be explored - the sea, the universe and the door to both - technology."

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medalcraft Mint of Green Bay, Wisconsin. No mintage is reported.

References:   Cal MC-2001

The medal's obverse bears a black-crowned night heron shown from behind, its head turned to the right, perching on a slender branch; concave circle behind bird's head is suggestive of the moon.

The reverse depicts a perching bird, a leafed branch overhead, looking downward to the left with its wings lifted about to fly. Across, Brookgreen / Gardens / SOUTH / CAROLINA; signed at bottom right, HW

Heidi Wastweet enjoyed Brookgreen Gardens' Artist-in-Residence program in 2015 and sketched the native herons during visits to the Cypress Aviary of the Lowcountry Zoo.

Heidi Wastweet won the American Medallic Sculpture Association's American Medal of the Year Award 2018 for this design. It took three rounds of voting before her medal beat out over 40 other designs that had been submitted. 

The almost square medal measures 75.8mm x 76.3mm and was struck in bronze. The mintage is reported to be around 1,000 pieces.

References:   BG 45