Medallic Art Company

The uniface plaquette bears view of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower before dramtic clouds and sun rays. At upper right, (MLICO logo) / CONVENTION / 1941; signed at bottom right, CHAMBELLAN / SC

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company was founded in 1893 by a group of New York City businessmen who raised $100,000 to found the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company. The company insured Civil War sailors and soldiers against disabilities. On March 24, 1868, it became known as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and shifted its focus to the life insurance business.

In 1915 the company completed the process of changing from a public stock company to a mutual company but in 2000 it went public again. During much of the 20th century, MetLife, as it is colloquially called, insured a significant percentage of American families.

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, colloquially known as the Met Life Tower, is a Manhattan landmark, built from 1907 to 1909 and located on Madison Avenue near the intersection with East 23rd Street, across from Madison Square Park. Designed by the architectural firm of Napoleon LeBrun & Sons and built by the Hedden Construction Company, the tower is modeled after the Campanile in Venice, Italy. Today, the tower houses the New York Edition Hotel, a 273-room luxury hotel that opened in 2015.

My plaquette came embedded in the lid of a handsome little wooden box, sometimes described as a "cigarette box," that was probably the give-away at the convention. I have not attempted to separate the plaquette from the box, which means I cannot weigh it or document the edge markings. If you have a loose plaquette, I'd appreciate if you could send me the missing information.

You might have noticed that the plaquette bears 1941 in its legend whereas I date it to 1940. I am merely following Dick Johnson's reference which favors the date indicated by the Medallic Art Company's numbering scheme.

The rectangular plaquette measures 93mm x 134mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1940-058-001

Chambellan designed this medal in the early 1930's for the National Association of Manufacturers.

The obverse bears the Statue of Liberty in the center with light radiating from behind its head. From left to right depictions of the Capitol, orator in front of listening crowd, church, printing press, machinery, and skyscrapers. Above, LIBERTY; signed R. CHAMBELLAN SC.

The reverse bears bowl of fire labeled FREEDOM resting on tripod with legs inscribed REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, and FREE PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. Workers and a mother with children in front of smokestacks and buildings. Along rim on left, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS.

This medal expresses the belief in the benefits of a capitalist democracy, with economic freedom being one of the pillars on which freedom rests.

This bronze medal has a diameter of 76mm and weighs 171g. It was struck by the Medallic Art Company in New York.

References:   MACo 1940-064, Marqusee 108

The obverse bears head of mother with closed eyes holding her child with long hand supporting head. Along left and right edges, PRO / PATRIA

The reverse depicts Prometheus chained to rock at ankles and wrists, attacked by eagle. At top, left, and right, PRO / HVMANI / TATE (mark composed of crossed flaming torches over bar); signed below, Joseph E. Renier. Sc. / ©

Renier dedicated this medal to "all those who contriute their something to life." He wrote in the medal's brochure:

"The underlying theme of this medal is the devotion of womanhood and manhood to country and to humanity. "

1941 was the year America officially entered World War II and the theme of "sacrifice" and "devotion" was lay heavily on people's minds. Prometheus' "For Humanity" applies to the legen just as it applied to how American's saw their involvement in the war.

This medal was chosen as the 23rd issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1941. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York which struck 849 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-023, Marqusee 330, SoM 23

The obverse bears polar bear on floe, flying snow geese behind. In upper field, ARCTIC; around, * GREELY * BARTLETT * PEARY * BYRD *

The reverse bears group of four penguins on ice. Around, * PALMER * WILKES * BYRD * ELLSWORTH *; below, ANTARCTIC / E.F.S / ©

Springweiler described his thoughts in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"In creating this medal I was thinking of another world, a silent and cruel one, the regions around the poles of our globe, the endless icewastes, the land of midnight sun."

While stressing the barren and cruel nature of the polar reaches, he praised the men who had set out to explore them and commemorated their names on the medal.

This medal was chosen as the 24th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1941. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company. Its mintage is reported to be 999 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-024, Marqusee 369, SoM 24

The medal's obverse bears St. George slaying a dragon with Swastika on its wing. Around, ·· SAINT GEORGE ·· / OF ENGLAND

The reverse bears hand emerging from stylized waves for a "thumbs-up"; laurel branch across. Around top, FORWARD TO VICTORY; signed and dated at bottom, © 1941 MK

This medal was issued for the British-American Ambulance Corps. A companion piece was executed by Korbel and Manship and combined this medal's obverse with a Manship designed American Eagle.

The circular medal measures 38.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1941-036-001

The medal's obverse bears three draped female figures in the process of sculpting, drawing, and painting. Around, NATIONAL · ASSOCIATION · OF · WOMEN · ARTISTS; below, . FOUNDED 1889 .

The reverse bears a stylized sun in field at top. Below, AWARDED TO / (empty field) / FOR / (empty field); signed to right of sun, (BP monogram)

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO NY

In 1889 women were still barred from full membership in the male-dominated National Academy of Design. Five women, Grace Fitz-Randolph, Edith Mitchill Prellwitz, Adele Frances Bedell, Anita C. Ashley, and Elizabeth S. Cheever, were finally fed up with the status quo and founded the Women's Art Club. The organization flourished and in 1913 was renamed the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors, reflecting its national influence and the increasing number of women sculptors. Through the 1920s the organization was sponsoring exhibitions nationally and abroad.

In the 1930s membership grew to over 1,000 and the organization opened its Argent Galleries on 57th Street in New York City. In 1941, the organization changed its name again to the National Association of Women Artists.

This medal is a redesign of an earlier version that had the same center image but the earlier name around the obverse's circumference.

The heptagonal medallion measures 70mm from side to side and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its mintage is not reported.

The obverse bears lazy man asleep under stylized tree, blazing sun overhead, snail in sleeper's shadow at left. Below THOU SLUGGARD; at lower edge of figure, J. de Coux ©

The reverse bears three ants communicating with antennae amid grass. Around, GO TO THE ANT CONSIDER HER WAYS / (thistle) AND BE WISE (sunflower)

Janet de Coux based her medal on Proverbs 6:6:

Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
Consider her ways, and be wise;
Which having no chief,
Overseer or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer,
And gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?
When wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as a robber,
And thy want as an armed man.

This medal was chosen as the 25th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1942. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York which struck 767 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-025, Marqusee 116, SoM 25

The obverse bears kneeling nude youth holding an airplane model in right hand, left hand on propeller; sun at left horizon. To right, date and signature 19 (circled BP) 41 / ©

The reverse bears dove in flight over fleecy clouds. Below, FLIGHT

Brenda Putnam wrote in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"Although this medal is issued during a preiod when the entire world is engaged in a gigantic struggle on land, at sea, and in the air, the theme of the medal is not warlike. The lad is no warrior, and the bird no eagle. Rather does the design concern itself with man's creative struggle to win supremacy in a vast new region, -the air. The war proves only too well the appalling destructive power of fighting and bombing planes. But beyond the war -and there will surely be a beyond- there are infinite possibilities for constructive and humanitarian activities in man's conquest of the air."

This medal was chosen as the 26th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1942. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York, which struck 759 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-026, SoM 26, Marqusee 326

The medal's obverse bears art-deco eagle with spread wings holding crossed Stars and Strips and Condeferate flag in its talons; fire underneath; circled star above.  At top, FRIENDSHIP; at bottom, HONOR · SERVICE; signed under flames, JULIAN HARRIS

The reverse bears silhouette of Rich's flagship store building. Around, 1867 - COMMEMORATING / THE SEVENTYFIFTH - ANNIVERSARY / OF RICH'S INC (star) - 1942; across, A SOUTHERN INSTITUTION / MORRIS, EMANUEL / AND DANIEL RICH / FOUNDERS

Founded by Mauritius Reich, anglicized to Morris Rich, Rich's was a department store retail chain, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated in the southern U.S. from 1867 until March 6, 2005 when the nameplate was eliminated and replaced by Macy's. Many of the former Rich's stores today form the core of Macy's Central, an Atlanta-based division of Macy's, Inc., which formerly operated as Federated Department Stores, Inc.

Daniel Rich who is mentioned on the reverse was the third brother to join the partnership in 1884.

The circular medal measures 56.9mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1941-011