All Medals

The medal's obverse bears kneeling semi-nude female figure facing left, holding goddess of victory in one hand, lyre in the other. Around, · ST · PAUL ·  - · INSTITUTE · ; signed in exergue, P · MANSHIP

The reverse bears winged steed in flight over large sun; wreath around bottom.

Paul Manship attended the St. Paul School of Art, which was later renamed to Saint Paul Institute of Arts and Sciences. I guess this medal was a thank you to his alma mater where his lifelong passion for sculpture was first kindled.

The medal's reverse is very reminiscent of the Art Directors' Club medal's obverse.

The circular medal measures 53.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   Baxter 364, MACo 1916-012-01, Murtha 76

References:   ANS 31, Baxter 316, MACo 1917-012, Marqusee 201

The medal's obverse bears view of the Memorial building. Around, · DEDICATED AUGUST 1967 · / CATHOLIC WAR VETERANS OF THE U.S.A.; under building, WASHINGTON,D.C.

The reverse bears legend within beaded border. Around, GOD · · · COUNTRY · · · HOME / · · · (cross with laurels) · · ·; across center, OUR DEAD / · ARE NOT · / UNKNOWN / SOLDIERS

The Monsignor Edward J. Higgins Memorial Building is located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., and was dedicated in August 1967, a time when America was heavily involved in the ever more unpopular Vietnam war.

I can't be sure, but the legend on the reverse can be read as a gesture of defiance by the Catholic War Veterans against both the government's handling of the war and the public's increasing lack of support for veterans.

The circular medal measures 63.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1967-034

References:   MACo 1930-001-031, Marqusee 109, SoM 31

The medallion's obverse bears bust of Charles Doolittle Walcott facing right. To left and right, CHARLES - DOOLITTLE / WALCOTT; around bottom, PRECAMBRIAN RESEARCH MEDAL; signed under truncation, LAVRA GARDIN FRASER SCVLPTOR

The reverse bears the picture of a trilobite. On lower half, NATIONAL - ACADEMY / OF / SCIENCES

Charles Doolittle Walcott (1850 - 1927) was a paleontologist, early member of the U.S. Geological Survey, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute and President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The medal, designed in 1931 but first awarded in 1934, is awarded every five years by the National Academy of Sciences for outstanding work in the field of pre-Cambrian and Cambrian life and history. Since 2008, the Walcott Medal and the Stanley Miller Medal are presented alternately, collectively known as the NAS Award in Early Earth and Life Sciences.

The medallion measures 102mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage has been reported.

Many thanks to a collector who wishes to remain anonymous for the images of this beautiful medal.

References:   MACo 1931-006

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of Helmholtz, facing right, squinting through an optical instrument. Around top right, HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ; signed at lower left, DAUB

The reverse show optical diagram of object, lenses and observer's eye to left.

Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1894) was a German physician and physicist who made significant contributions in several scientific fields.

In physiology and psychology, he is known for his mathematics of the eye, theories of vision, ideas on the visual perception of space, color vision research, and on the sensation of tone, perception of sound, and empiricism in the physiology of perception.

In physics, he is known for his theories on the conservation of energy, work in electrodynamics, chemical thermodynamics, and on a mechanical foundation of thermodynamics.

As a philosopher, he is known for his philosophy of science, ideas on the relation between the laws of perception and the laws of nature, the science of aesthetics, and ideas on the civilizing power of science.

The circular medallion measures 98mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. No mintage is reported.

Both sides bear Star of David, symbols and names from all twelve medals. In center, THE / TWELVE / TRIBES OF / ISRAEL

This is the 13th medal in Elizabeth Weistrop's Twelve Tribes of Israel series. It was a bonus medal only available through a boxed collectors' set containing the other twelve medals.

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 1969-100-013, TToI 13

References:   ANS 10, Baxter 116, Marqusee 97

The plaquette's obverse bears lovingly detailed, massive turbo generator before city skyline. Around cupola top, WORLD POWER CONFERENCE / 1936; across exergue, TURBO-GENERATOR-CAPACITY 160.000 K·W· 1936 / CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY OF NEW YORK, INC·; signed above exergue at right, R. P. Chambellan Sc.

The reverse bears street view of Edison's first generator central station with laurel wreath at top left and tree at right. Across bottom, FIRST EDISON CENTRAL STATION - 1882 / 6 GENERATORS-TOTAL CAPACITY 1200 H·P·

The World Power Conference was conceived by the Scotsman Daniel Dunlop in 1923.  He organized the first meeting which took place in London in 1924 and attracted 1,700 attendees from 40 nations. It was deemed so successful that the conference was established as a recurring event.

In the beginning, the World Power Conference convened on a regular schedule every six years. The Third World Power Conference of 1936 met from September 7th to 12th in Washington, DC.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the conference on September 11th and used a golden key to activate a small generator at the Builder Dam in Colorado.

In 1968 the name was changed to World Energy Conference and the conferences were scheduled every three years. In 1992 the group changed its name again and became known as the World Energy Council.

The year of 1936 also marked the rebranding of the New York Edison Company to Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. This is probably the reason that this handsome plaquette was issued on the occasion of the conference. From the humble beginnings of the first power plant on Pearl Street in 1882, the company would eventually grow into a behemoth with approximately $13 billion in annual revenue and $47 billion in assets by 2016.

This is a beautiful Machine Age gem by Chambellan. I admit that I am partial to detailed renditions of technology, but Chambellan masterfully combined the machinery in the foreground with a city skyline and subtle sun rays in the background.  The overall effect is pleasing and powerful at the same time.

The plaquette measures 114.4mm x 84.2mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1936-042