Medallic Art Company

This medal's obverse bears front-facing eagle in flight over ocean, holding wreath in its talons, between two rows of pylons; Statue of Liberty on horizon under wreath. Above, ERECTED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN PROUD / AND GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF HER SONS WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN HER SERVICE AND WHO SLEEP IN THE / AMERICAN COASTAL WATER OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN; below, INTO THY HANDS O LORD; under Statue of Liberty, MCMXLI - MCMXLV; signed at lower right, A.MANCA 1963 ©

The reverse bears an eagle in flight, talons clutching a branch of oak in front of mountains under sky with thirteen stars. At left, eternal flame burning on waves with number 4596 beneath. Above, WE SHALL PAY ANY PRICE / BEAR ANY BURDEN - MEET ANY HARDSHIP / SUPPORT ANY FRIEND - OPPOSE ANY FOE / TO ASSURE THE SURVIVAL OF LIBERTY / JOHN F. KENNEDY below around: EAST COAST MEMORIAL NEW YORK DEDICATED MAY 23, 1963. Signed and dated along edge at bottom, ALBINO MANCA 1963

The East Coast War Memorial honors the 4,596 missing American servicemen who lost their lives in the Atlantic Ocean while engaged in combat during World War II between 1941 and 1945.

Erected in 1963 in Battery Park, at the southern end of Manhattan and designed by the architectural firm of Gehron and Seltzer, it was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy. The memorial's centerpiece is Albino Manca's massive, 23 feet tall bronze eagle, set on a black granite pedestal. It holds a laurel wreath and sits upon an ocean wave. This is to signify the act of mourning at sea.

The circular medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1963-002

The obverse bears perched American Eagle behind Catholic University's coat of arms. Around, THE · CATHOLIC · UNIVERSITY · OF · AMERICA; in coat of arms, DEUS - MEA / LUX - EST

The reverse bears cross. Around, · CORRIGAN · McCORMICK · McENTEGART · McDONALD · KEANE · CONATY · O'CONNELL · SHAHAN · RYAN ·; across, 1889 - 1964 / DIAMOND - JUBILEE; at top, seven papal names, at bottom, three U.S. cardinal names, GIBBONS / CURLEY / O'BOYLE

The medal's edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE.

At the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops first discussed the need for a national Catholic university. After Mary Gwendoline Caldwell pledged $300,000 to establish it, Pope Leo XIII sent James Cardinal Gibbons a letter granting permission to establish the university on April 10, 1887. Finally, on March 7, 1889 the Pope issued the encyclical Magna Nobis, granting the university its charter and establishing its mission as the instruction of Catholicism and human nature together at the graduate level.

Today, the Catholic University of America is rated one of the best value colleges in America. To help keep it affordable, the American Cardinals Dinner is put on by the residential U.S. cardinals each year to raise scholarship funds.

The medal measures 70mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1963-054

References:   MACo 1965-063

References:   MACo 1963-001-025, GANYU 25

The medal's obverse bears spread eagle, facing. Around, THe FAIRFIELD COUNTY TRUST CO.; in exergue, CHARTERED 1889

The reverse bears outline of Fairfield County with superimposed gem-cut diamond. Around, FAIRFIELD COUNTY TRUST / 75 YEARS OF SERVICE TO COMMUNITY; at left, 1889 / 1964

The Fairfield County Trust Company was a local bank that was acquired by the Chase Manhattan Bank in 1992.

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

References:   MACo 1963-012

The medallion's obverse bears bust of Claude Moore Fuess, facing left, in recessed center field. Around smaller center field, DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION / · TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE · ; around edge, (rosette) THE CLAUDE MOORE FUESS AWARD (rosette) / PHILLIPS ACADEMY ANDOVER; signed under bust, P,M,

The reverse bears Phillips Andover Academy's coat of arms with motto NON SIBI over FINIS ORIGINE PENDET; banner beneath. Across, GIVE ME A ROBUST / NONCONFORMIST WHO / HAS THE COURAGE / OF HIS / CONVICTIONS; around, WEBSTER CHOATE CUSHING SCHURZ COOLIDGE EASTMAN STIMSON

Phillips Andover Academy's highest alumni honor is named after Claude Moore Fuess (1885-1963) who was its headmaster from 1933 to 1948. Awardees are selected based on having a "significant positive impact on their communities, society, or the world."

The circular medallion measures 89mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1964-007

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

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Robert Lincoln McNeil, facing half right. Around top, ROBERT · LINCOLN · McNEIL; signed over left shoulder, ABRAM / BELSKIE Sc.

The reverse bears aerial view of corporate buildings. Across, 50TH / 1914 - ANNIVERSARY - 1964 / McNEIL / LABORATORIES, INC.

Robert Lincoln McNeil was the son of McNeil's Drugstore founder Robert McNeil. The drugstore had been opened in 1879, when recent Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science graduate Robert McNeil purchased a retail drugstore to which the new owner added a small manufacturing laboratory and a doctors' supply business.  In 1914, the year this medal celebrates as the founding year, the two McNeils formed a partnership called the Firm of Robert McNeil. By 1925, the manufacturing business was doing so well that they discontinued the retail business entirely. In 1933, they changed the company's name to reflect this change in focus.

The company was purchased by Johnson & Johnson in 1959 but obviously continued as a somewhat independent entity for some more years, at least long enough to celebrate a 50th anniversary in 1964.

Interestingly, the issuer of this medal, I assume it was the two sons of Robert Lincoln McNeil, Robert and Henry, chose to honor Robert Lincoln (the father) rather than Robert (the grandfather), who might be regarded as the original founder. I would guess that Robert Lincoln McNeil had been the driving force behind the transformation to a manufacturing business.

The circular medal measures 63.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1964-126

References:   SoM 69