All Medals

The medal's obverse bears Berghoff's logo in center. Across, Berghoff / 18 - 87 / BEER

The reverse bears view of brewery. In exergue, BERGHOFF BREWING CORPORATION / 1025 GRANT AVENUE / FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

The Berghoff Brewing Corporation was founded in 1887 by Hermann Berghoff and his three brothers, Henry, Hubert, and Gustav. Within just three years they ramped up production from 12,000 barrels to 90,000 barrels per year. Their lager beer was known by its slogan "A Real German Brew" and received high acclaim at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. With World War I and the accompanying wide-spread anti-German sentiment, the company changed its slogan to "A Real Honest Brew."  By the 1950s the company's sales were flat and the brewery was in desperate need of modernization to stay competitive. In 1954 the family decided to sell everything but the brand name to the Falstaff Brewing Company of St. Louis. The brand name was sold separately to the Walter Brewing Company of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  Walter still brews and sells beer under the Berghoff name today.

Rene Chambellan seems to have had a very good working relationship with brewing companies.  In addition to this medal, he designed commemorative medals for the Schaefer and Pabst companies.

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

References:   MACo 1937-001

The medal's obverse bears bust of Washington, facing right. Around, (star) GEORGE WASHINGTON. (star) / BORN FEB. 22 1732. (star) DIED DEC. 14 1799.; signed under truncation, Paquet. F.

The reverse bears sculpture bust of Washington on top of medal cabinet, surrounded by banister. Around, (star) WASHINGTON CABINET OF MEDALS, U.S. MINT. (star) / INAUGURATED FEB. 22 1860.

On February 22, 1860, the Washington Cabinet of Medals was formally inaugurated at the United States Mint in Philadelphia. This culminated over a decade of collecting medallic remembrances of our first president by mint officials and others. Julian reports that James Ross Snowdon might have had this and an earlier medal struck solely to add his own contribution to the Mint's growing collection of Washingtonia.

The medal measures 59.7mm in diameter and was struck by the U.S. Mint. No mintage is reported.

References:   Marqusee 312

The obverse bears bust of Edward H. Harriman facing l. torch to his left. Above, (rosette) EDWARD H HARRIMAN MEMORIAL MEDAL (rosette); across bust, AWARDED - BY THE / AMERICAN - MUSEUM / OF SAFETY - TO; inscribed under bust, ATLANTIC COAST LINE RAILROAD COMPANY / GROUP A RAILROAD; signed at right, JEF monogram

The reverse bears railroad man on tracks near signal, wearing cloak and carrying signal flag and lanterns. At left, FOR THE / UTMOST / PROGRESS; at right, IN SAFETY / AND / ACCIDENT / PREVENTION

Edward Henry ("Ned") Harriman made a career of rebuilding bankrupt railroads. At age 50 he became director of the Union Pacific Railroad. A year later he was chairman of the executive board and another five years later he was president of the company. At the time of his death in 1909 he controlled the Union Pacific, the Southern Pacific, the Saint Joseph and Grand Island, the Illinois Central, the Central of Georgia, the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and the Wells Fargo Express Company.

With the explosive growth in railroads around the beginning of the 20th century, accidents became an ever larger concern to the industry and to the public. In 1913 Edward Harriman's widow, who had inherited her husband's entire estate, sponsored this medal to encourage the young industry to pay more attention to the safety of its employees.

The American Museum of Safety presented medals in gold, silver, and bronze to railroads in three groups of line-haul carriers and a fourth group of switching and terminal companies for attaining the best employee safety records during the preceding year.

This medal measures 70mm in diameter. Early versions were struck by Tiffany and Co. in bronze, silver, and gold; later versions by the Medallic Art Company. The mintages are not reported.

References:   Baxter 233, MACo 1914-012, Marqusee 161

The uniface medal bears lion rampant, tail raised proudly, facing right within bold geometric border.  At top, LEO; in small exergue at bottom, MACO © 1967

Chambellan's Zodiac medals were issued more than a decade after his death and are probably based on designs he made in the early 1930s when he was working on the RKO Roxy Theater.  The 1960s saw renewed interest in astrology and the signs of the zodiac arising in part from the counter-cultural hippie movement and its subsequent adoption into mainstream culture.

Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. It comes after Cancer and before Virgo. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area approximately between July 23 and August 22; The sign spans the 120th to 150th degree of celestial longitude.

Leo is a fixed sign along with Taurus, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area on average between July 23 and August 22 each year, and under the sidereal zodiac, the Sun currently transits this area from approximately August 16 to September 15. The symbol of the lion is based on the Nemean lion, a lion with an impenetrable hide. It is a northern sign and its opposite southern sign is Aquarius

The circular medal measures 69.7mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1967-151-008

References:   MACo 1955-054

The obverse bears city skyline to left and family of three to right; in exergue, eagle with thirteen stars. Around top, PHILANTHROPOS · CARITAS; signed under family, C P JENNEWEN

The reverse bears wreath surrounded by AMICUS - HUMANIS / GENERIS; in center field, PRESENTED / TO / BY / MARTS & LUNDY / IN ADMIRATION FOR THE OUTSTANDING / VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP IN / WHICH WILL BENEFIT / OTHERS FOR MANY / GENERATIONS

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. BRONZE

Marts & Lundy was founded in 1926 and operates as a fundraising consulting firm. Per its website, "its services center around maximizing a client's philanthropic potential and building a sustainable culture of philanthropy around its stakeholder base."

This is an elegant commercial medal by one of the American masters of medallic art.

The circular medal measures 76.5mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1965-087

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

References:   BG 21

References:   BG 23

References:   MACo 1963-001-025, GANYU 25