The John E. Marqusee Collection

References:   MACo 1930-001-031, Marqusee 109, SoM 31

The obverse bears art deco city scape with factories and skyscrapers surrounding a giant generator building; clouds and sun rays above; house and train engines below. In exergue, * ORDER OF * / MERIT

The reverse bears large silver letter W over palm frond. Around, WESTINGHOUSE AWARD; in lower half, TO / (blank) / WHOM HIS FELLOW / MEN DELIGHT TO / HONOR

The Westinghouse Order of Merit was awarded by Westinghouse Electric Corporation as its highest form of employee recognition. Both management and technical employees were eligible to receive the award.

The cicular medallion has a diameter of 101mm. It was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The mintage is not reported.

References:   MACo 1935-035, Marqusee 110

This uniface medal shows young mother breastfeeding her baby, one hand holding her breast, the other supporting baby's head.

Maker's mark at 6:00 om edge, MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y.

The Medallic Art Company acquired the rights to this French medal in 1933 and made a stock medal in one size. Chapu was primarily a portrait medalist who had a great influence on young American artists who studied under him at the Academie Julian. Among his American pupils were such greats as John Flanagan, Hermon Atkins MacNeil, and Bela Pratt.

The medal measures 85mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1933-035, Marqusee 113

References:   CoF 6, Marqusee 115

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 bust of Babelon, left. Around, ERNEST · BABELON · DE · L'INSTITUT · ; signed to the right of bust, G. DEVREESE. / 1910

The reverse bears helmeted bust of Athena, left, holding spear and shield. Around, CONGRES INTERN · DE NUM · ET D'ART DE LA MED · BRUXELLES 1910 · ; signed in right field, R. BOSSELT

Ernest Babelon (1854-1924) was a French numismatist and classical archaeologist. In 1899 he was recognised with the Medal of the Royal Numismatic Society and in 1922 with the Archer M. Huntington Medal.

This medal was the 29th official issue of the American Numismatic Society. Issued jointly by the ANS and the Société Hollandaise-Belge des Amis de la Médaille d'Art, the reported mintage only applies to those pieces that were produced for the ANS.

This medal measures 65mm in diameter and was struck by Alphonse Michaux. The mintage is 156 pieces in silver and 505 in bronze.

References:   ANS 29, Baxter 259, Marqusee 120

The medal's obverse features a powerful, god-like figure carrying in his arms a limp body; in background, towering cloud with lightning and waves. Around, MIDLAND · UTILITIES · MEDAL; in exergue, · 1928 (AF monogram)

The reverse bears burning candle. Around, AWARDED · IN · RECOGNITION · OF / GREAT · PUBLIC · SERVICE · IN / SAVING · HUMAN · LIFE; at bottom; · TO · / ALBERT - FARMER / · 19 - 33 ·

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. SILVER

De Francisci designed this medal for the Midland Utilities Company as an award given to people who had saved a human life. The medals were expensively customized for each recipient and certainly not mass-produced.

This particular medal was awarded to Albert Farmer of Terre Haute, Indiana. Mr. Farmer, who worked as a railroad lineman for the Indiana Railroad Company, resuscitated the 4 year old Harry Sumner, saving him from drowning on July 31st, 1932.

The medal was first awarded in 1929. In 1933, the year in which this medal was awarded, only five life saving medal were awarded, providing an indication of the rarity of this medal.

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintages are reported.

References:   Baxter 350, MACo 1928-060, Marqusee 135

The obverse image depicts the Farnham monumen of Simon Bolivar. Around, MONVMENTO · ERIGIDO · EN · LA · COLINA · BOLIVAR · DEL · CENTRAL · PARK · DE · NVEVA · YORK · E · INAVGVRADO · EL · 19 · DE · ABRIL · DE · 1921; signed on exergue, SALLY JAMES FARNHAM / ©

The reverse shows two allegorical figures representing the two American continents united in the causes of Liberty and Justice, rising sun to their left. Around, "LA · GLORIA · ESTA · EN · SER · GRANDE · Y · EN · SER · VTIL - BOLIVAR"; over sun, EL · LIBERTADOR / 1783 - 1830

Farham created this medal to commemorate the dedication of her best-known work, the equestrian Simon Bolivar in New York's Central Park.

The Whitehead and Hoag Company, as well as the Medallic Art Company each struck versions of this 2 1/2 inch medal. Farnham exhibited it at the 1923 annual exhibition of the National Academy of Design.

Many thanks to the creator of sallyjamesfarnham.org for the beautiful images and the associated information.

References:   MACo 1921-040, Marqusee 137

The medal's obverse bears standing figure of Lafayette, with right arm leaning onto pedestal with conjoined busts of Washington and Franklin. On pedestal, AMERICA'S / ADOPTED / SON; around, MDCCLVII - LAFAYETTE - MDCCCXXXIV; signed in exergue, 19 (JF monogram) 34

The medal's reverse depicts sword intertwined with branches of laurel, oak, and palm at center. Surrounding legend, THE AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LAFAYETTE -/- MAY XX - MCMXXXIV / CENTENARY OF HIS DEATH."

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.

John Flanagan had already created a Lafayette medal in 1920 to commemorate the Knights' of Columbus donation of a Statue of Lafayette to the French city of Metz.

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its mintage is not reported.

References:   MACo 1934-024, Marqusee 139

This medal was the first issue of the prestigious Circle of Friends of the Medallion series in 1909. The obverse bears conjoined busts of Henry Hudson in ruff and Robert Fulton in nineteeth-century civil dress. Around, HENRY HUDSON * ROBERT FULTON; in right field, signed J F / (acanthus ornament) / MCMIX

The reverse bears Hudson River with Halve Maene and North River Steamboat sailing past modern skyline; nymph reclining on cloud holds glowing lightbulb. Above, dates MDCIX * MDCCCVII; below, MCMIX

The Hudson-Fulton celebration was a regionally significant event that left a multitude of coins, medals, posters and other memorabilia in its wake. It celebrated the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River and the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton's first successful commercial application of the paddleboat steamer.

The medal measures 70mm in diameter and was struck by Davidson of Philadelphia.

References:   CoF 1, Marqusee 141