All Medals

References:   BG 7

The medal's obverse bears seal of the University of Pittsburgh. Around, SIGILLUM CANCELLARII UNIVERSITATIS PITTSBURGHENSIS

The reverse bears incuse legend, WORN FIRST / BY / EDWARD HAROLD LITCHFIELD / AT HIS / INAUGURATION AS / TWELFTH CHANCELLOR / OF THE / UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH / MAY 11. 1957

The medallion measures 76mm in diameter and was strucki n gold-plated bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

This was the first Norway medal to be created for the series. The design was probably inspired by the rapid expansion of speculative North Sea oil drilling at the time prompted by the 1973 oil crisis.

The obverse presents a view out to sea with an advancing line of oil drilling platforms in the background. Ung subtly suggests a sea covered by oil slick that has washed up a dead gull on the shore in the foreground. 

The emotive conservationist theme of the obverse is matched by the mother and child design on the reverse. Ung intended this to represent Mother Norway embracing the child of future prospects. The design is thus something of a landmark in nation gendering as Norway at that time did not have the tradition of female allegorical symbols of countries such as Russia (Mother Russia), England (Brittania), and France (Marianne). Ung's design adds the future child, layering in traditional religious icon elements to the design, implying that the present country needs to take care of and protect the future environment. He's followed the tradition of having the mother's gaze fixed on the child who is in turn looking out at the viewer.

References:   NorA NO-1975

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Sir Winston Churchill, facing. To his left, THE RIGHT / HONOURABLE / WINSTON / CHURCHILL; signed to left, E.R. GROVE / © 1966 PAM

The reverse bears anchored ship with sailors throwing a life preserver in the water; in background pinnaces full of soldiers, ominous pillar of smoke, water fountains from aerial bombardment, planes circling in the sky. In exergue, DUNKIRK / MAY 26 - JUNE 4 / 1940

Dunkirk was just recently (2017) commemorated by a movie that beautifully illustrated the precarious situation in which the British and French troops found themselves in the spring of 1940.  The German army had surrounded the British Expeditionary Forces and large parts of the French Army in Dunkirk. A surrender of the allied forces seemed inevitable and would almost certainly have allowed Hitler to shift significant resources to the Eastern Front, spelling total disaster for the Allies. Instead, with the help of a large flotilla of civilian vessels, the Allies managed to evacuate over 330,000 troops from the beaches. While the loss of materiel was huge, many soldiers survived to fight another day and a devastatiing blow to morale was avoided.

Churchill, who had only become Prime Minister a few days earlier managed to recast the evacuation as a triumph and rally the country behind the war effort. In his own famous words:

"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."

The circular medal measures 44.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York on behalf of Presidential Art Medals, Inc.

References:   MACo 1966-001-001, WWII 1

References:   MACo 1969-177

The medal's obverse bears rider galloping to right, facing back with pistol held straight out. To left, PONY EXPRESS; to right, TEN DAYS TO / SAN FRANCISCO

The reverse bears settlers with Conestoga wagon drawn by oxen, mountain and sun in background. Below, NEW FRONTIERS / 18 (cattle skull) 49 / © JAMES EARLE FRASER SC

The medal's reverse is very familiar to coin collectors who know the motif from the Oregon Trail half dollar. Fraser was a traditionalist who wrote in the brochure that accompanied the medal:

"... wherever possible we should use the lore of our people. With this thought in mind I selected two of the most romantic, hazardous and important subjects of our pioneer days, the Prairie Schooner and the Pony Express."

This medal was chosen as the 45th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1952.

The circular medals measure 73mm in diameter and were struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company. The reported mintage is 964 pieces in bronze.  There are two versions of the silver medal.  The first is the from the 1970's edition that was limited to 700 pieces with no mintage reported. The second is a telemarketing reissue from 1993 with an estimated mintage of 300 pieces.

References:   MACo 1930-001-45, SoM 45

The obverse bears man and woman holding baby; daisy at l., ear of wheat at r. Above, PEACE / IS / LIFE; below, © HOWARD

The reverse bears skull with gaping jaw; landscape with burning buildings, steeple, dead tree. Above, WAR / IS / DEATH

In the brochure accompanying the medal Howard wrote:

"The theme of this medal is so obvious as to demand very little explanation. I should like to say, however, the 'Life' and 'Death' as here used, are intended to mean not only physical life and death, but the preservation or destruction of civilization and moral values as well."

This medal was chosen as the 42nd issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1950.  It measures 72mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported mintage is 842 pieces in silver-plated bronze.

References:   MACo 1930-001-042, SoM 42

References:   Baxter 246, MACo 1917-016