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.

The medal's obverse bears statuesque woman holding cornucopia in one arm and baby in the other; behind her at left, man adjusting valve of chemical apparatus; at right, older man studying tome with flasks and vessels next to him. Around top, · CHEMICAL RESEARCH FOR PLENTY HEALTH AND PEACE · ; signed at right, (JMS monogram)

The reverse bears winged hour glass. Around, ARNOLD, HOFFMAN & CO., INC. / MANUFACTURING CHEMISTS; across, CELEBRATING / ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE / YEARS / OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE TO / AMERICAN INDUSTRY / 1815 - 1949 / THE / OLDEST CHEMICAL HOUSE / IN NEW ENGLAND

Arnold, Hoffman & Co., Inc. traces it roots back to 1815 in Providence, Rhode Island.  Benjamin and Charles Dyer setup a wholesale business for drugs, chemicals and dyes.  It changed hands many times over the years.  In 1874 the name was Mason, Chapin & Co. and the firm
was one of the largest importers of natural indigo from India. 

In 1892 the company acquired the Anchor Color & Gum Works which had built a plant in Dighton, Massachusetts in 1861 to manufacture furniture and later colors ground in oil for paint.  Starch and softening agents were also made.  In 1897 Edward. E. Arnold, president of Mason, Chapin & Co., formed Arnold, Peck & Co. with William H. Hoffman as an investor.  In 1900 Arnold and Hoffman formed the Arnold, Hoffman & Co. corporation.  Earlier, Arnold had established the Mathieson Alkali Works in 1892 in Saltville, Virginia. 

The circular medal measures 75.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1940-009

The obverse bears man leaning on plow, gazing right toward military cemetery. To left and right, MAN - SEEKS / TO TURN - FROM THE / SAVAGERY - OF WAR; in exergue, 1936 / ©

The reverse bears winged female figure in flight over mountains, holding olive branch. In exergue, PEACE

Stewart's Message from the Artist was very brief:

"In arriving at the subject matter for a contemporary medal, I was guided by the belief that man's voice of protest against war is growing from and inaudible whisper to a resounding concordance, which may bring 'between all men peace and good fellowship.'"

The message was deeply felt and widely shared, yet 1936 was already giving a preview of the violence that was to engulf the world within a few years: Italy concquered Ethiopia, civil war raged in Spain, Japanese aggression against China, the Arab revolt against the British, and of course Hitler's remilitarization of the Rhineland were all portents of a world at strife.

This medal was chosen as the 14th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1936. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company. Its mintage is reported to be 968 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-014, Marqusee 371, SoM 14

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.

References:   HSoNY 1905

The medal's obverse bears bust of Brevet Colonel James Duncan,r., die crack runniing through bust from approx. 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock. Around, PALO ALTO, RESACA DE LA PALMA, MONTEREY, VERA CRUZ, CERRO GORDA, SAN ANTONIO.; to left and right of bust, BREVET COL. - JAMES DUNCAN. Signed under truncation, C.C. WRIGHT SC.; and at bottom, S. ELLIS DEL.

The reverse bears legend only. Around, CITY OF MEXICO, GARITA BELEN, GARITA COSME, CHAPULTEPEC, MOLINA DEL REY, CHERUBUSCO.; across, PRESENTED BY / THE CITIZENS OF N.YORK / TO / BREVT. COL. JAMES DUNCAN / OF THE / UNITED STATES ARMY / DEC. 28TH. 1848.

James Duncan (d. 1849) graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1834. Two years later, he served in the Florida war against the Seminole Indians and commanded an artillery company during the war with Mexico from 1846 to 1848. His heroics in the latter conflict caught the attention of army officials, and Duncan rose rapidly from captain to colonel. In late 1848, President James Polk appointed Colonel Duncan inspector general of the United States Army.

The medal was given to him just before his first tour of inspection when he visited New York. He died only months later from Yellow Fever which he contracted from troopers in Mobile, Alabama.

The circular medal measures 53.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the U.S. Mint. No mintage is reported, but the large die crack would argue for a small production run.

References:   MACo 1963-001-042, GANYU 42

The medal's obverse bears a line of five runners, flying geese overhead, slim whippet racing below.

The reverse bears a nude athlete putting the shot. Flanking the athlete, 19 (RTM monogram) 36 - REJOICE / OH / YOUNG - MAN IN / THY - YOUTH; in exergue, ©

Robert Tait McKenzie is rightly famous for his athletic subjects and this medal is a good example. As he wrote in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"The last fifty years has shown a revival and spread of interest in competitive athletic sports and outdoor life that has no parallel in the history of the world...
As one who has followed this great movement from its inceptionto maturity I have chosen two phases of it for the thirteenth medal issued by the Society."

This medal was chosen as the 13th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1936. It measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported production quantity of this medal is 1,001 in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   109, MACo 1930-001-013, Marqusee 269, SoM 13

The medal's obverse bears the image of early Anglo-Saxon coin with bust of King Offa above a metal worker about to strike a medal; all surrounded by border of rope and waves. In coin, OFFA REX; at bottom right, TORNEI

The reverse bears Lion rampant with tower and star over sea shells. Around, (rosetta) CINCINNATI (symbol) MILLING (clover leaf) MACHINES (symbol) LIMITED (rosetta); in exergue, 1934 - 1964; signed at bottom, B.M & F. Co LTD.

King Offa ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia from 757 to 796.  He is regarded as having been the most powerful Anglo-Saxon ruler until Alfred the Great's reign which started fifty years after Offa's death. Offa's reign is known for coinage that is of much higher quality than that of its neighbors, undoubtedly a reason for the Cincinnati Milling Machines Company to reference him on their medal.

The Cincinnati Milling Machines Company was formed in 1889 for the purpose of building and promoting innovative new machine tool designs, especially milling machines. The two principals were Frederick A. Geier and Fred Holz. It is unclear what significance the year 1934 had for the company and why the company, whose founders have very German-sounding names, picked a reference to the King of Mercia for this commemorative medal.

The circular medal measures 58mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.