All Medals

References:   BG 31

References:   ANS 32

The medal's obverse bears busts of James Mitchell Lamson Scovill and William Henry Scovill in circular fields at left and right; wreath-like borders at top and bottom of fields. Around top and bottom, SCOVILL MANUFACTURING / COMPANY / 1802-1902 / WATERBURY, CONN.; busts labeled around top, J. M. L. SCOVILL and WM. H. SCOVILL

The reverse bears wreath and inscription. Around, within beaded border,  CENTENNIAL OF THE FOUNDING OF THE SCOVILL MANUFACTURING CO.; in center field, PRESENTED / BY THE COMPANY / TO / ARTHUR T. HADLEY / 1802 / ABEL PORTER & CO. / 1811 / LEAVENWORTH HAYDEN & SCOVILL / 1827 / J.M.L. & W.H. SCOVILL / 1850 / SCOVILL MFG. CO.

This medal was made by the Scovill Manufacturing Company of Waterbury, Connecticut in 1902. Scovill was established in 1802 as a button manufacturer and is still in business today. Scovill was an early industrial American innovator, adapting armory manufacturing processes to mass-produce a variety of consumer goods.

The circular medal medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck by the Scovill Manufacturing Company itself. No mintage is reported.

Many thanks to the Numismatics Department of the Yale University Art Gallery for their generous support with making this medal available to me for research.

The medal's obverse bears pelican (?) sitting on red cross shield; cross in background.

The reverse bears legend. Around, CROIX ROUGE DE BELGIQUE; across, RECONNAISSANCE / AUX / DONNEURS DE SANG

This medal was awarded to blood donors by the Belgian Red Cross. It exists in a French and a Flemish version that differ in the language of the inscription on the reverse.

The circular medal measures 50.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. Neither artist nor mintage nor mint are known to me and I would appreciate any additional information.

This medal's obverse bears conjoined busts of Warner and Swasey facing left. Around edge, WORCESTER REED WARNER · AMBROSE SWASEY; in exergue, 1880 · 1920; signed in exergue under truncation, V.D.BRENNER

The reverse bears large telescope in observatory with two men seated to left and one standing on raised platform at ocular, and one at top of telescope mount. Around edge, THE WARNER & SWASEY CO. / CLEVELAND OHIO. U.S.A. / LICK TELESCOPE

The medal celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Warner & Swasey Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Warner and Swasey had worked together at Pratt & Whitney and cofounded their eponymous company in 1880 in Chicago. in 1881 they moved to Cleveland to be located closer to one of their major customers.

The company manufactured lathes and other metal working machines and existed as a subsidiary of Giddings & Lewis until 1992 when it was shut down. Before that it had been acquired by the Bendix Corporation in 1980, Cross & Trecker in 1984 and finally Giddings & Lewis in 1991.

A different version of this medal was issued ten years later, after Brenner's death. On that version, the year was updated and Warner's lifespan was added to the left of his portrait.

The medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. While the mintage is not reported and neither production records nor dies exist any more, a person who wishes to remain anonymous has done extensive research on this medal. He tracked all available auction sales and reports that no medal with a serial number higher than 297 has ever been sold. This provides a definitive lower bound and probably also a fairly reliable upper bound of ca. 300 for the mintage.

References:   Baxter 142, MACo 1920-028

The medal's obverse bears Dan, facing right, leaning on his staff, kitten behind him; at right, scene with boy falling of shying horse scared by snake; moon and stars in baclground. At top left, DAN; signed and dated in exergue, © 1970 - E. WEISTROP

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

Dan was Jacob's fifth son, the first he had with Bilah. In the apocryphal Testaments of the Patriarchs, Dan is portrayed as having hated Joseph, and having been the one that invented the idea of deceiving Jacob by the smearing of Joseph's coat with the blood of a kid.

Jacob prophesied that Dan would govern his people as one of the tribes of Israel. The quote runs:

"Dan shall be a serpent by the road... that bites the horses' heels so that his rider is thrown backward."

This is the fifth 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 1969-100-012, TToI 5

The medal's obverse bears Americans from colonial to modern times walking, riding, and driving around the circumference, with some airplanes mixed in for good measure. In raised circular center, the American Bicentennial logo surrounded by AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL / 1776 - 1976; signed with artist's (JOV monogram) at top right; at lower right, MACO / © 1975

The reverse bears square calendar panel in center, flanked by the PHiladelphia Christ Church steeple on the left and a launching Saturn V rocket on the right; Eagle holding streamer with THE / BICENTENNIAL / YEAR in its beak on top, Paul Revere on horseback at the bottom; at left bottom of calendar panel, 1976.

The American Bicentennial was a huge marketing extravaganza that caused a multitude of medals to be issued.   Marcel Jovine created a thematically appropripate design in his inimitable circular style. 

This is one of the few Calendar medals that were issued in different sizes.  A limited edition 3.75" medallion was offered to collectors in addtion to the normal 3" medal.  I am not aware of any medals in silver though I would not be terribly surprised to find out that a few had been struck.  The 1970s were a time of sky-high silver prices and 3" silver medals would have represented a significant investment.

References:   MACo 1975-134, Cal MA-1976

References:   ANS 8

The medal's obverse bears steam train on double track, running from right to left, nude male figure flying next to it, pointing the way.  Around, ONE HUNDRED YEARS / SAFETY STRENGTH SPEED; signed at left, (HS monogram) / ©

The reverse bears early steam engine with operator in centerfield. Under tracks, PETER COOPER'S / "TOM THUMB"; around  on raised ring, · THE · BALTIMORE · AND · OHIO · RAILROAD · COMPANY · / 1827 · 1927

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company is the oldest railroad in the United States and the first common carrier railroad, with its first section opening in 1830. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania.

Philip E. Thomas and George Brown were the pioneers of the railroad. They spent the year 1826 investigating railway enterprises in England, which were at that time being tested in a comprehensive fashion as commercial ventures. Their investigation completed, they held an organizational meeting on February 12, 1827, including about twenty-five citizens, most of whom were Baltimore merchants or bankers, and incorporated in March of 1827.

The circular medal measures 69.6mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1926-014

References:   Cal HM-2002