All Medals

The medal's obverse bears eagle gripping in its talons a wreath of thistles. Around, MATHIESON / CHEMICALS

The reverse bears chemical plant with silos and smokestacks. Around edge, THE MATHIESON ALKALI WORKS / MANUFACTURERS OF CHEMICALS; around inner field, RESEARCH · QUALITY · SERVICE; under factory, CELEBRATING FIFTY YEARS / OF SERVICE TO AMERICAN / INDUSTRY AND PUBLIC / HEALTH / 1892 - 1942

The medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in Bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1942-017

References:   MACo 1972-021

The medal's obverse bears bust of John Trumbull. Around left and right, JOHN - TRUMBULL; signed on truncation, at bottom, B. HUGHES DEL.

The reverse bears Columbia with American shield on steps crowning two artists, one a painter holding a pallet and brushes, one a sculptor cradling a mallet in the crook of his arm. Around left and right, AMERICAN - ART-UNION; signed and dated on steps, P.P.D.D - C.C.W.F. - 1849

John Trumbull (1756-1843) was an American painter and is often referred to as "The painter of the Revolution."  His painting of the Declaration of Independence was used on the reverse side of the bicentennial $2 bill.  He served in the Revolutionary War as an aide to George Washington, a position from which he resigned in a dispute over his commission date.

This was the third and last medal issued by the American Art-Union. 

The circular medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the U.S. Mint.  No mintages are reported but the silver variant is exceedingly rare, with only a handful of pieces known to exist.

References:   AAU 3, Marqusee 404

The medal's obverse shows two women, symbolising France and America, seated in an open boat, rowed by an angel wearing a phrygian bonnet (a symbol of the French Revolution). In the distance on the left is the Statue of Liberty. Around top, VNION · FRANCO · AMERICAINE / STATVE · COLOSS-ALE · DE · LA · LIBERTÉ · ECLAIRANT · LE · MONDE / 28 OCTOBRE / M.D.CCCLXXXVI; signed around lower left, O. Roty.

The reverse shows the shields of America and France resting on a laurel branch, with a profile portrait of Bartholdi, facing left, in a medallion between them.  Around, SOUVENIR · DE · L'INDEPENDANCE · AMERICAINE; across,  MONVMENT / ERIGÉ · PAR · LA · FRANCE / ET · L'AMERIQVE · EN · SOUVENIR / · DE · LEVR · ANCIENNE · AMITIÉ / 1776 - 1876; flanking cartouche at bottom, HAVTEVR · DE / LA · STATVE · 46'''8 - HAVTEVR · DV / PIÉDESTAL · 35'''

This medal commemorates the Franco-American Union, formed in 1875, which planned and ultimately brought about the creation of the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift of friendship from France to the U.S.A. in recognition of the friendship established between the two nations during the American Revolution.

The Union agreed that the monument would represent the work of both nations. The statue would be made by the French and transported to the U.S.A. and the Americans would build its pedestal. The sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904) started work immediately. The statue was dedicated on 28th October 1886.

The circular medal measures 68.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Paris Mint. No mintage is reported.

Parts of the description are from the Victoria and Albert Museum's record for this medal.

References:   Baxter 30, Marqusee 340

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Lincoln, facing left. Around, ABRAHAM - LINCOLN; to left and right, 1809 - 1865; signed around bottom, J.E.ROINÉ COPYRIGHT (MACO mark)

The reverse bears wreath formed by laurel and oak branch. At top, LIBERATOR, in center field, · EMANCIPATION / · PROCLAMATION · / SIGNED / · JANUARY· FIRST· 1863 · / Abraham Lincoln; at bottom, 1909 / CENTENNIAL · COMMEMORATION

The medal was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1909-005

The medal's obverse bears bust of Lincoln, facing, within thick border.

The reverse bears the seal of the state of Illinois. Around, LAND OF LINCOLN PAVILION / 1964 NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1965

Illinois had its own pavilion at the New York World's Fair of 1964-65 and this medal was one of the commemoratives offered there.

The medal is fairly two-dimensional, the recessed areas of the relief together with some patina used to provide dark patches, and it almost looks like it was etched.  The edge is cross-hatched.

The circular medal measures 69.1mm in diameter.  I have no information about artist, mint or mintage.  Any additional information would be appreciated.

The medal's obverse bears conjoined portraits of John Pintard and Egbert Benson, facing quarter left. Around left, JOHN PINTARD / FOUNDER; around right, EGBERT BENSON / FIRST PRESIDENT; signed around lower right, V.D.Brenner

The medal's reverse bears old and new buildings of the New York Historical Society with society's medallion supported by palm leaves at bottom, Around, · THE · NEW · YORK · HISTORICAL · SOCIETY · 1804 - 1904; under the horizontal separator between buildings, IT IS DELIGHTFUL / TO RECALL THE PAST

John Pintard (1759-1844) was an American merchant and philanthropist. He was orphaned at the tender age of 18 months and grew up with his uncle, Lewis Pintard.  He made his fortune in the China and East India Trade and lost it in Alexander Hamilton's scheme to fund the national debt. While he never recovered his former wealth, he regained comfortable financial status and founded or was active in many of New York's respected cultural institutions, among them the New York Historical Society, the American Antiquarian Society, the American Bible Society, and the Tammany Society. He was also active in the movement that lobbied for the construction and completion of the Erie Canal.  He was what we would call "a pillar of scoiety" and died highly respected in 1844.

Egbert Benson (1746-1833) was a lawyer, jurist and politician from Upper Red Hook, New York, and a Founding Father of the United States who represented New York in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and the United States House of Representatives. He served as a member of the New York State constitutional convention in 1788 which ratified the United States Constitution. He also served as the first Attorney General of the State of New York, Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, and as a judge and Chief Judge on the United States Circuit Court for the Second Circuit. He is one of the Dutch Americans alongside John Jay to lead the American Revolution.

The circular medal measures 63.7mm and was struck in gold-patinated bronze. No mintage is reported.

References:   BG 19