All Medals

References:   Murtha 468

The obverse bears reclining stag before flowering plants. Signed in exergue at right, G K LATHROP

The reverse bears bird, possibly a crossbill, perched on cone, working to extract seeds from it. Around, BROOKGREEN / GARDENS

This was the second of the prestigious Brookgreen Gardens member medals, issued in 1974.

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   BG 2

This medal's obverse bears portrait of Avery facing left. Around, · PRESENTED · TO · SAMVEL · PVTNAM · AVERY · BY · HIS · FRIENDS · AND · THE · ARCHITECTS · OF · NEW · YORK; signed over shoulder at right, V D BRENNER / 1914

The reverse bears view of building facade framed by trees and shrubs. Above, THE AVERY LIBRARY; below, framed by two wreaths, · FOVNDED · BY · / · SAMVEL · PVTNAM · AVERY · / · AND · MARY · OGDEN · AVERY · / · 1890 · / · COMPLETED · BY · / · SAMVEL · PVTNAM · AVERY · / · THEIR · SON · / · 1912 ·

The edge is marked TIFFANY & CO. FINE SILVER

The Avery Library is named for Henry Ogden Avery, one of late nineteenth century New York's promising young architects and a friend of William Robert Ware, who founded the Department of Architecture at Columbia in 1881. A few weeks after Avery's premature death in 1890, his parents, Samuel Putnam Avery and Mary Ogden Avery, established the library as a memorial to their son. They offered 2,000 of his books, mostly in architecture, archaeology, and the decorative arts, many of his original drawings, funds to round out the book collection, and an endowment to assure the continuous growth of the library.

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck in silver by Tiffany & Company of New York City.

References:   Baxter 141

The obverse bears statue of LaFayette on horseback. To left and right, LAFA - YETTE / WE - ARE / HERE; signed at right, (JF monogram)

The looped medal's reverse bears statue of Lafayette, half right. Around, COMM· DEDIC· OF THE STATUE OF LAFA-YETTE PRES· TO THE CITY OF METZ BY THE / KNIGHTS - OF COLUMBUS; to left and right of statue, SEPT - EMBER / VI - MCMXX; signed in right field, (JF monogram)

It was in the year 1775 in the French city of Metz that the Marquis de LaFayette committed himself to the cause of the American Revolution. He became one of the central figures of the revolution and gained the undying gratitude of the young nation. In 1919, the Knights of Columbus sponsored an equestrian statue of LaFayette

"to commemorate the fraternal participation of France to the foundation of the United State (1775-1783) and to immortalize the sacrifice of the glorious French and American soldiers who died on the battlefields of Liberty, in 1914-1918."

In August 1920 one of the famous equestrian statues of Lafayette by the American sculptor P.W. Bartlett, was inaugurated in the Square Boufflers of Metz, near the very place where Lafayette stood in 1775 at the Governor's Palace.

The medal measures 41mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. Its mintage is not reported.

References:   Marqusee 147

The medal's obverse bears bust of Theodore Roosevelt, facinf right. At lower right, MDCCCLVIII/ MCMXIX· / ··; signed and dated above shoulder at left, J.E. / FRASER / 19©20

The reverse bears flaming crusader's sword. Around, ROOSEVELT · MEMORIAL · ASSOCIATION / MEDAL OF HONOR; across, IF I MVST - CHOOSE / BETWEEN - RIGHTEOVSNESS / AND PEACE - I CHOOSE / RIGHTEOUVSNESS

The Theodore Roosevelt Distinguished Service Medal was established by the Roosevelt Memorial Association in 1923 to honor outstanding service in fields reflecting the work and interests of Theodore Roosevelt.  The first medals were presented by the President at the White House. For many years thereafter, medals were awarded on Roosevelt's birthday, October 27th, at "Roosevelt House," a brownstone at 28 East 20th Stree in New York City.  Medals were awarded annually from 1923 to 1967, with exceptions for 1941 and 1944, and since 1967 on an occasional basis.

The circular medal measures 83mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York City. No mintage is reported.

Many thanks to Chris Bach for the write-up.

References:   Baxter 237, MACo 1923-002

The medal's obverse bears dog's head facing left, surrounded by heavy grass or fur border. To top and left, WESTMINSTER / KENNEL / CLUB / BENCH SHOW

The reverse bears palm frond and laurel sprig. Across, AWARDED / TO / ALTHEA FARM KENNELS / CH. NORA OF SIONHILL / BEST / WHIPPET / 1930

The circular medal measures 49.6mm in diameter and was struck in sterling silver by Dieges & Clust of New York.  No mintage is reported.

The obverse bears the goddess Ceres in profile right. Around, CERES BLESSING SO IS ON YOU. Below, JG © 39.

The reverse bears the blooming rose with two bees. Around, SCARCITY AND WANT SHALL SHUN YOU.

This medal was chosen as the 20th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1939. It was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  The reported production quantity of this medal in bronze is 937 pieces. The silver mintage was limited to an edition of 700 but no actual mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1930-001-020, Marqusee 196, SoM 20

The medal's obverse bears medallic rendition of John Trumbull's painting "The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill," showing General Warren on the ground, held by a fellow Colonial, with British troops closing in from the right. Around top, BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL; at bottom, 1775.

The reverse bears view of the Bunker Hill memorial obelisk. To its left, TO / COMMEMORATE / THE / 150TH ANNIVERSARY / OF THE / BATTLE OF / BUNKER HILL / 1775 - 1925; signed around lower left, KILENYI

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17th, 1775. Two days earlier, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding the city, which would give them control of Boston Harbor. In response, 1,200 colonial troops under the command of William Prescott stealthily occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. During the night, the colonists constructed a strong redoubt on Breed's Hill, as well as smaller fortified lines across the Charlestown Peninsula.

By daybreak of June 17, the British became aware of the presence of colonial forces on the Peninsula and mounted an attack against them that day. Two assaults on the colonial positions were repulsed with significant British casualties; the third and final attack carried the redoubt after the defenders ran out of ammunition. The colonists retreated to Cambridge over Bunker Hill, leaving the British in control of the Peninsula.

While the British won the battle, they lost over a thousand men, more than 100 of them officers. General Clinton, echoing Pyrrhus of Epirus, remarked in his diary that "A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America."

My instance of the medal is dedicated on the edge to the colorful Boston mayor James Michael Curley. I don't know whether all instances are thus marked or whether my instance was Curley's personal medal.

The circular medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey.  No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears glass and hand in the center, flanked by the company's headquarters in 1842 and the company's contemporary headquarters. Over buildings, 1842 / 1942; around, OUR HAND HAS NEVER / LOST ITS SKILL; at lower right, signed R. CHAMBELLAN SC.

The medal's reverse bears border of hops and grain around center field with inscription: TO / COMMEMORATE / OUR 100TH YEAR / THE F.&M. SCHAEFER / BREWING CO. / AMERICA'S OLDEST LAGER BEER.

The F.&M. Schaefer Brewery is the longest operating brewery in New York City, the last operating brewery in New York City [as of 1976], and America's oldest lager beer brewing company - all these honors, plus many others, belong to the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company.

"F. & M." stands for Frederick and Maximilian, the brothers who founded Schaefer. Frederick Schaefer, a native of Wetzlar, Prussia, Germany, emigrated to the U.S. in 1838. When he arrived in New York City on October 23rd he was 21 years old and had exactly $1.00 to his name. There is some doubt as to whether or not he had been a practicing brewer in Germany, but there is no doubt that he was soon a practicing brewer in his adopted city. Within two weeks of his landing, Frederick took a job with Sebastian Sommers, who operated a small brewhouse on Broadway, between 18th and 19th Streets. Frederick obviously enjoyed both his job and life in America, and the next year his younger brother, Maximilian, decided to make the arduous trip across the Atlantic also. He arrived in June of 1839 and brought with him a formula for lager, a type of beer popular in Germany but unheard of in the United States. The brothers dreamed, and planned, and saved - and in the late summer of 1842 they were able to buy the small brewery from Sommers. The official, and historic, starting date was September, 1842.

In 1981, the F. & M. Schaefer Brewing Company was purchased by the Stroh Brewery Company. In 1999, the Stroh Brewery Company was in turn bought by the Pabst Brewing Company which continues to sell Schaefer Beer today.

This medal measures 76mm (3in) in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1941-046

References:   MACo 1971-013-010, WR 10