All Medals

The plaquette's obverse bears draped, nude child on divan, printing press in background, brazier in foreground at left; two conjoined medals bearing Benjamin Franklin and Thomas L. De Vinne at right. At top, AND THE LIGHT CAME; at bottom right, DEGREE OF MASTER / OF ARTS CONFERRED BY / COLVMBIA AND YALE / VNIVERSITIES 1901; signed at left, V.D.BRENNER

The reverse bears four lines of legend in beaded and outlined border, · FRANKLIN · BIRTHDAY · DINNER · / · JANUARY · 17 · 1902 · / · TYPOTHETÆ · OF · THE · CITY · / · OF · NEW · YORK ·

The typothetae [of the City of New York] were the master type setters who took understandable pride in their craft and chose to celebrate a dinner with two great Americans as the "patron saints" of their profession: Benjamin Franklin and Theodore Low de Vinne.  Benjamin Franklin requires no introduction, but Theodore Low de Vinne might be a less familiar name.  De Vinne was a master typographer and typesetter who became famous for his "Century Roman" typeface and for being a co-founder of the Grolier Club.  He was also a founder and the first president of the United Typothetae of America, a predecessor of the Printing Industries of America.

The plaquette was struck in bronze and measures 64mm x 56.9mm.  No mintage is reported.

The plaquette's obverse bears bust of Edison facing right. On right side, EDISON; signed with Sinnock's monogram J © R / S

The reverse bears the legend LIGHT'S / GOLDEN JUBILEE / 1879 - 1929 / AN ART MEDAL / MADE BY / MEDALLIC ART COMPANY / NEW YORK

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was of course the serial inventor and businessman who is generally credited with inventing the electric light bulb, the phonograph, the telephone and many other important innovations in the field of electricity and power transmission.

Light's Golden Jubilee was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Edison's incandescent light bulb, held on October 21, 1929, just days before the stock market crash of 1929 that swept the United States headlong into the Great Depression. The Jubilee also served as the dedication of Henry Ford's Greenfield Village, originally known as the Thomas Edison Institute.

This plaquette is one of two instances on which the Medallic Art Company used the term "Art Medal" in 1929. The other is the medal commemorating J. Ramsay MacDonald's visit to the U.S.

The plaquette measures 58mm x 77mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1929-057

The medal's obverse bears bust of Willard F. Rockwell, facing. Around top, WILLARD F. ROCKWELL; around bottom, 45 YEARS AN / AUTOMOTIVE PARTS PIONEER; signed under truncation, R·J·MENCONI

The reverse bears corporate logo with 50 YEARS in circle. Around, ROCKWELL-STANDARD CORPORATION / 1909 - 1959

Willard F. Rockwell (1888-1978) was born in Boston, Massachusetts and attended the local public schools before attending MIT. In the years between 1909 and 1915 he was chief engineer for several small companies and developed a keen interest in the automotive business. During World War I he was a civilian specialist in the Army Quartermaster Corps. In 1919 he started his first company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and sold it nine years later, staying on as its manager and a director of the Timken-Detroit Axle Company. He became president only four years later and merged it with several small companies he controlled. In 1958 he renamed the large company to Rockwell Standard Corp.  Rockwell-Standard eventually became a major player in aviation and the space industry and is now called Rockwell International.

The circular medal measures 69.9mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1959-066

The medal's obverse bears map of the two Americas flanked by allegorical female figures representing continents, extending arms towards middle, one bearing a caduceus representnig science, other olive branch representing friendship. Around, FRIENDSHIP · SOLIDARITY · AND · PROGRESS · THROUGH · SCIENTIFIC · ACHIEVEMENT

The medal's reverse bears oil lamp at top and olive branch running around left edge. Across, SECOND / PAN-AMERICAN / SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS / DEC. 27. 1915 - JAN. 8. 1916 / WASHINGTON / U · S · A

Many thanks to the creator of sallyjamesfarnham.org for the images of this medal.

The medal's obverse bears nurse bent over hospital bed with soldier, table with plant and window in background. In exergue, Au service de la Souffrance; signed in bottom right cotner, G. DEVREESE.

The reverse bears enameled red cross shield over laurel branches.  Around top, CROIX ROUGE DE BELGIQUE; across, EN SOUVENIR / DES SERVICES RENDUS / AU COURS DE LA GUERRE / 1914 - 1919

The medal measures 63.6mm x 69mm and was struck in bronze by the Jules Fonson mint. No mintage is reported.

References:   ANS 18, Baxter 291, Marqusee 182

The medal's obverse, designed by Mario Korbel, bears St. George slaying a dragon with Swastika on its wing. Around, ·· SAINT GEORGE ·· / OF ENGLAND; signed under dragon, MK

The reverse, designed by Paul Manship, bears a displayed American Eagle flanked by two stars. Around, · UNITED · WE · STAND · / · AMERICA ·; signed under eagles foot on right, PM

This medal was issued for the British-American Ambulance Corps. A companion piece executed entirely by Korbel combined this obverse with a reverse utilizing a thumbs-up — forward to victory motif.

The circular medal measures 38.5mm in diameter and is holed for supension.

References:   MACo 1941-036-02

The medal's obverse bears male and female nudes symbolizing the union of the Western hemisphere by the Panama Canal; in background, sun and clouds above horizon with American isthmus. At bottom, DIVINE DISIVNCTA IVNXIT HOMO

The medal's reverse shows the Panama Pacific International Exposition's Tower of Jewels. On panel below building, MEDAL / OF AWARD; around, PANAMA PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION SAN FRANCISCO - MCMXV

The medal measures 70.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the United States Mint. Plain bronze, silver-plated, and gold-plated versions are known to exist.

References:   Baxter 114, MACo 1915-020, Marqusee 150,151,152

The medal's obverse bears logo of the Main Place organization. Around, THE PRINCIPALITY / OF MAIN PLACE

The reverse bears view of One Main Place in Dallas. Around, ONE MAIN PLACE / THE TEXAS BANK DALLAS

The circular medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1969-143