All Medals

The obverse bears muscular men raising a fluted pillar. Above, THERE WILL BE OTHER TOWERS; in exergue, (circled 19) FOR THEE TO / BUILD (circled 40); above ground line at left, © HANCOCK

The reverse bears a shattered oak stump with two hardy well-leafed shoots; sun behind.

Hancock designed this optimistic medal when the second World War was still young. His message was that renewal and creation will surely follow death and destruction. As he wrote in his message "From the Artist":

"As the earth renews itself after the ruin of storm, so man must rebuild his towers -material and spiritual- after the wreck of war."

This medal was chosen as the 22nd issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1940. It measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported production quantity is 894 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-022, Marqusee 199, SoM 22

The medal's obverse bears Mounty amidst trees and mountains.At his feet, a compass rose and seal of WEYERHAUSER FOREST PRODUCTS. Around, THE NORTHWEST PAPER COMPANY / 1898 · MANUFACTURERS · 1948

The medal's reverse bears large 50 with superimposed streamer reading 50 YEARS OF / MAKING BETTER PAPERS / 1898 - 1948.  Around, NORTHWEST PEDIGREED PAPERS / ALWAYS MAKE GOOD PRINTING BETTER

The medal was strucl in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1948-030

References:   BG 38

The medal's obverse bears two wheel spokes dividing the medal into four equal segments, each with a different iconic American automobile, including a Ford Model T and an Army Jeep.

The reverse bears calendar panel inscribed into frontal view of antique, crank-started car; 1983 in license plate; signed in hood label, JOV

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in various materials by the Medallic Art Company of Danbury, Connecticut. No mintages are rported and I am merely speculating that there was a variant struck in silver.

References:   MACo 1981-203, Cal MA-1983

The medal's obverse bears standing Athena/Minerva holding shield with one hand and oil lamp on pedestal with the other. In exergue, NATURAE SPECIES RATIOQUE

The medal's reverse bears six portrait busts, each surrounded by a wreath and labeled with last name: LAPHAM / PECKHAM / CHAMBERLIN / HOY / IRVING / ALLEN; below, THE WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF / SCIENCES ARTS AND LETTERS / 1870 - 1920; signed in bottom right corner, LC

The Latin phrase on the obverse translates to "Nature and her law." Athena, or Minerva in her Roman incarnation, is the goddess of wisdom and together with the oil lamp symbolizes the quest for knowledge and understanding.

References:   MACo 1920-003

References:   MACo 1969-177

The medal's obverse bears giant Colossus statue straddling harbor entrance with ship sailing underneath; view of harbor and island behind. Signed on left foundation, DAB

The reverse bears calendar panel on sail of Greek sailing vessel; birds in sky. At top, 2003

The Colossus of Rhodes calendar medal was the sixth issue in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World series. It was probably designed by Mark Frost and certainly sculpted by Douglas A. Birdwell. The medal is drilled at the bottom to allow it to be pin-mounted on a display stand. 

The circular medal measures 76.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of Dayton, Nevada. No mintages are reported.  The bronze pieces originally sold for $34.95, the silver pieces for $169.

References:   Cal MA-2003

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 medal's obverse bears three busts, Brunelleschi, left, Michelangelo, facing, da Vinci, right. Around, · MVNICIPAL · ART · COMMISSION · / CITY · OF · LOS ANGELES; across bottom, BRUNELLESCHI / MICHELANGELO / LEONARDO DA VINCI; signed GLADYS LEWIS BUSH / 1946

The reverse is an empty field surrounded by heavily beaded border.

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 1946-008