All Medals

References:   MACo 1969-177

References:   Murtha 468

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Jane Addams, slight left, over wreath.  Around, JANE - ADDAMS; across, 1860-1935; signed at bottom, G.W.CARTER

The reverse bears house flanked by angel wings and trees, eight children holding hands in foreground. Below, in curved exergue, THE HALL OF FAME FOR GREAT AMERICANS / AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY / © 1968

The circular medal comes in three variants, a large bronze measuring 75.4mm in diameter and small silver and bronze medals measuring 44mm in diameter. No mintages are reported.

References:   MACo 1963-001-052, GANYU 52

This medal's obverse bears the Allied arms on shield over American Eagle. Around, DO · RIGHT / AND · FEAR - NO · MAN; on shield, AD - 1916; on wings, COPYRIGHT / SPICER · SIMSON

The reverse bears American shield with stars and sripes framed by two laurel branches; under stars, APRIL · VI · MDCCCCXVII ·. Around, : THAT · GOVERNMENT · BY ·THE · PEOPLE · SHALL · NOT · PERISH; above and below shield, © / T · S · S; under right branch GORHAM CO.

The motto on the obverse is taken from the inscription of George Washington's dress sword. A limited but unknown number of these large medals were offered at a cost of $20 in bronze and $30 in silver. The medal was conceived by the American Fund for French Wounded with the profits supporting relief work for French soldiers and civilians.

The circular medal measures 63.4mm in diameter (74.8mm with loop) and was struck in bronze and silver by the Gorham Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   Baxter 315, Marqusee 362

References:   MACo 1980-155, Cal MA-1981

The medal's obverse bears Phoenix behind Chicago city skyline. Legend reading, 122nd ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION (star) AUGUST 13-17 2013 / AMERICAN / NUMISMATIC / ASSOCIATION / CHICAGO; signed with artist's (JNF monogram) at upper left edge of exergue.

The reverse bears building and four stars, second star burning, rising above deeply recessed center field. Two banners across, THE GREAT / CHICAGO - FIRE; around lower left, MDCCCLXXI

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was a massive conflagration that burnt for three days, killed up to 300 people and left 100,000 residents homeless. The fire started at about 9:00 p.m. on October 8, in or around a small barn belonging to the O'Leary family that bordered the alley behind 137 DeKoven Street. The shed next to the barn was the first building to be consumed by the fire, but city officials never determined the exact cause of the blaze. There has, however, been much speculation over the years. The most popular tale blames Mrs. O'Leary's cow, who allegedly knocked over a lantern; others state that a group of men were gambling inside the barn and knocked over a lantern. Still other speculation suggests that the blaze was related to other fires in the Midwest that day.

The circular medal measures 69.9mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medalcraft Mint of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The mintage was limited to 100 pieces.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Harvey S. Firestone, facing. To left and right, HARVEY S. / FIRESTONE - FOUNDER

The reverse bears ten scenes relating to Firestone's business arrayed around center field, from rubber tapping at top, to various vehicles, chemical reaction vessels, to airplane.  In centerfield, 50 YEARS / OF / FIRESTONE / SERVICE / 1900 - 1950

Harvey S. Firestone (1868-1938) was an American businessman, and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires.

After graduating from Columbiana High School, Firestone worked for the Columbus Buggy Company in Columbus, Ohio before starting his own company in 1890, making rubber tires for carriages. In 1900 he soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles and then founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, a pioneer in the mass production of tires.

Dick Johnson reports that the medal's obverse was designed by Jeno Juszko but the reverse was designed by Don de Lue! Based on the reverse's subject matter and the style I would have guessed Rene Chambellan, but never Don de Lue.

The medal's edge is drilled at top and bottom so that it can be installed in a spinner, which was a popular display style for industrial commemoratives in the middle of the 20th century.

The circular medal measures 69.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1950-016