All Medals

The medal's obverse bears head of Statue of Liberty, facing. Around, STATUE OF LIBERTY / 1886 · CENTENNIAL · 1986; signed at right, (JOV monogram)

The reverse bears Statue of Liberty facing half right. Across, GIVE - ME YOUR / TIRED, - YOUR POOR, / YOUR - HUDDLED / MASSES - YEARNING TO / BREATHE - FREE. THE / WRETCHED - REFUSE / OF YOUR - TEEMING / SHORE. - SEND / THESE, THE - HOMELESS, / TEMPEST- - TOST TO ME. / I LIFT - MY LAMP / BESIDE - THE / GOLDEN / DOOR / Emma / Lazarus; signed at lower right, (JOV monogram)

This medal bears many similarities with the 1986 Calendar medal, also by Marcel Jovine. The obverse becomes the calendar medal reverse's center field, and the reverse is changed to show an immigrant family surrounded by Emma Lazarus' poem.  At a guess, Marcel Jovine submitted multiple designs and the Medallic Art Company decided to create more than one medal from them.

The circular medal measures 63.5mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of Danbury, Connecticut. No mintage is reported.

References:   Murtha 214

The medal's obverse bears busts of Roosevelt and Alves, slight left. Around, PRES. THEOD. ROOSEVELT / U·S·AMERICA -  : 1906 : - PRES. RODRIGUES ALVES / E·U·BRAZIL; signed at right, (EL monogram)

The reverse bears legend, TERCEIRA / CONFERENCIA / INTERNACIONAL / AMERICANA / RIO DE JANEIRO / BRAZIL / 1906

James G. Blaine, a United States politician, Secretary of State and presidential contender, first proposed establishment of closer ties between the United States and its southern neighbors and proposed international conferences to further that goal. Blaine hoped that ties between the United States and its southern counterparts would open Latin American markets to US trade and prevent European nations from meddling in the Americas.

The Second Pan-American Conference in Mexico had created the Pan-American Railway Committee and tasked it with the creation of a railway connecting the various American republics. Their initial report was presented at this conference and further, more detailed planning took place.

The circular medal measures 45mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Abraham Lincoln, facing right. To his left, torch. At left, 1809 / 1865; around right, LINCOLN. Signed under torch at left, © DOUGLAS VOLK / DEL. / CHAS. L. HINTON · / Sc.

The reverse bears oak wreath around center field. At top of center field, LINCOLN / · ESSAY · MEDAL ·  / · AWARDED · TO ·

Douglas Volk created a Lincoln portrait that shows him gaunt, almost skeletally thin, a sad resolve readiating from his expression. Hinton translated the design into a beautiful medal.

This medal is cataloged as King 892.  A variant with a date of February 12, 1924 exists and is cataloged as King 891.

The circular medal was struck in bronze by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. No mintage is reported.

References:   Marqusee 203

The plaquette's obverse bears James MacNeill Whistler standing, facing half left, with hand on his hip. To his left, butterfly signature and inscription: JAMES McNEILL WHISTLER / PAINTER ETCHER / AVTHOR; signed at top right, V. D. Brenner

The reverse bears peacock with inscription "MESSIEURS LES ENNEMIS!"; Whistler's butterfly device at bottom right. Signed at top, V.D.Brenner Sc.

James Abbott MacNeill Whistler (1834-1903) was an American painter, etcher, and author. Today he is counted among the great American artists. In his day, he was famous for his temper and for his uncompromising attitude towards art. "Art for art's sake" was a motto he lived by. 

The plaquette's obverse depicts Whistler in a pose that indicates barely contained impatience with the portraitist, possibly even disdain.

The reverse references two stories from Whistler's life. The peacock is a reference to a commission he had received from Frederick Leyland to decorate a dining room.  Rather than making the minor changes his patron had expected, Whistler refinished the entire room, overpainting a 16th century Cordoba leather wall for which Leyland had paid £1,000. When Leyland balked at the cost and the scope of the work, Whistler included him in the design as a peacock with gold on his body and at his feet.  He also later painted him, depicting him as an anthropomorhic peacock playing the piano and titled the painting "The Gold Scab: Eruption in Frithy Lucre", a pun on Leyland's fondness for frilly shirt fronts.

The quote relates to Whistler's bitter autobiography, titled "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies." Whistler had earlier pursued a libel suit against an art critic.While he won the suit, he was not awarded the damages he had sought and the legal costs combined with his already precarious finances to drive him into bankruptcy.  All his paintings were auctioned off and—to add insult to injury—Leyland oversaw their sale.

The rectangular plaquette measures 89.7mm x 65.4mm and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

Gorham later manufactured a cast bronze plaque from Brenner's model.

References:   Baxter 127, Marqusee 75

The medal's obverse bears square with inscribed IBM / HUNDRED / PERCENT / CLUB 1963; around, · IBM ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER DIVISION · IBM ELECTRIC TYPEWRITER DIVISION

The reverse bears view of IBM's pavilion at the New York World's Fair of 1964/65, family of three in front. Around, · NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1964-1965 · NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1964-1965

The New York World's Fair of 1964/65 was a fair with huge corporate participation.  Many large companies had pavilions there and IBM was one of them. 

The younger generation that has grown up with word processors might not understand how big a deal electric typewriters were. Instead of mechanical typewriters' direct translation of a key stroke into a typed letter, the IBM electric typewriter recorded a typed letter into a small buffer that it showd in a small display strip.  This allowed the typist to review up to one line of typing and correct changes before they ended up on paper. Later models also had a delete key that automated the process of overtyping a letter in white. Such machines were exremely exciting and certainly worthy of being admired at a World's Fair!

The circular medal measures 50mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1964-090

References:   ANS 27, Baxter 248, Marqusee 54

The medal's obverse bears child, facing, legs and feet tied together and feet swaddled in cloth sack; small flowers and shoots next to child. Heavy wreath with fruit in high relief around.

The reverse bears legend CHILDREN'S / ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL / AND / MEDICAL CENTER

Unfortunately, I do not know which Children's Hospital is commemorated by this medal. If anyone can help out, I'd very much appreciate to hear from them.

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of Danbury, Connecticut. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1984-089

The medal's obverse bears bust of John F. Hylan in oval center field, flanked by Statue of Liberty and city hall. Under bust, JUHN F. HYLAN MAYOR; in exergue, 1924

The reverse bears New York City seal; around, (oak leaves) THE CITY OF NEW YORK (oak leaves) / DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

John Francis Hylan (1868-1936) was the 96th mayor of New York City. From small beginnings in the Catskills he quickly rose through the political ranks and was first elected Mayor in 1917.  As Mayor of the hosting city, he played an important role at the Democratic National Convention of 1924. He served two terms before losing to Jimmy  Walker in the 1924 elections.

The octagonal medal was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York City. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1924-027