Medals Related to Horses

The medal's obverse bears a harnessed hackney horse, facing right. Around, AMERICAN HACKNEY / HORSE SOCIETY

The reverse bears laurel wreath, inscribed with: Awarded to / 1836 CZARINA / Exhibited by / Charles E Bunn / AT / Chicago Ill. / 1910

The medal's obverse bears head of Arabian horse, facing left, stylized moon sickle behind. Around, 1908 · ARABIAN · HORSE · CLUB · OF · AMERICA ·

The reverse bears streamer running in zig zag down height and width of medal. On streamer, AWARDED / IN · CLASS / (empty) / HORSE SHOW / (empty) / (empty)

The Arabian Horse Club of America was established in 1908 in New York.  The founding members were Henry K. Bush-Brown, Homer Davenport, Charles A. Voetsch, Francis A. Huck, and James B. Kilburn. You might notice that one of the founders was Bush-Brown who also designed the medal!

Today, the club is incorporated under the name of Arabian Horse Registry of America, Inc, and in 2002 had 27,500 associate members.

The history of Arabian horses in America is quite interesting. After his second term as U.S. President, Ulysses S. Grant traveled the world. In 1877 he visited Sultan Abdul Hamid II in Turkey and, well-known as an admirer of horses, was gifted two Arab stallions by the sultan. One of the two eventually ended up in America and, together with another stallion and two mares can be considered the first purebred Arabian breeding program in the U.S. 

The second important influence is tied to the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. The Turkish exhibition included 45 purebreds.  The mare Nedjme and the stallion Obeyran stayed in the U.S. and became horses #1 and #2 in the Arabian Horse stud book.

The circular medal measures 50.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1916-002

The obverse bears a Morgan horse in profile, facing left. Around, THE MORGAN HORSE CLVB; signed at left next to horse's chest, LAVRA GARDIN / FRASER 1923 / ©

The reverse bears mare with young colt facing right. Above, VERMONT; signed at bottom left, (LGF monogram) / 1923 / ©

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO NY

The Morgan horse is one of the earliest horse breeds developed in the United States. Its foundation sire was named Figure, later Justin Morgan after his best-known owner. Morgans were used as coach horses, harness racing, general riding animals, and as cavalry horses during the Civil War.

This medal measures 75mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   Baxter 358, MACo 1923-017, Marqusee 173

The uniface medal's obverse bears a Morgan horse in profile, facing left. Around, THE MORGAN HORSE; signed at left next to horse's chest, LAVRA GARDIN / FRASER 1923 / ©

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO NY

This is a later variation of the original Morgan Horse Club medal that was used as an award medal by the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA). I do not know whether Laura Gardin Fraser herself modified the die for the obverse or whether that was done later by someone else. Any additional information about this medal is welcome.

The medal's obverse bears polo pony with rider in gallop, right, rider facing backwards with polo stick raised above his head. Signed at left, LAVRA GARDIN / FRASER 1923

The reverse bears wreath around centerfield. Around edge, HORSE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA MEDAL / FOR THE BEST PLAYING POLO PONY ON EACH CLVB; engraved in centerfield, MITZI / OWNER / HOWARD S. NEILSON / CLVB / OX RIDGE HVNT CLVB / SEASON / 1925

This is yet another medal where Laura Gardon Fraser showed her talent for modeling horses and riders. In this case, the polo player is leaning backwards, possibly about to pull the horse around to reverse direction.

The circular medal measures 75.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1923-016

The galvano bears a horse facing left. to its left, 2/6; at top and bottom, Leath / Choroin

In 1926, Paul Manship was given the opportunity to participate in an international competition to design the coinage of the Irish Free State. Dublin-born poet William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) had proposed a general motif of animals and items associated with Irish life, including a horse, hen, ram, salmon, hare, wolfhound, wood duck, harp, and bull’s head.

Manship lost the competition to English sculptor Percy Metcalf, but graciously acknowledged that, had he been on the jury, he would have made the same decision.

The circular galvano measures 114.4mm in diameter.

References:   Murtha 210

The obverse bears farmer with shovel, produce on shoulder, and semi-draped wife. Recessed outer border with legend, HAPPY ARE THOSE WHOM PRIVACY MAKES INNOCENT; in exergue, SW / ©

The reverese shows farrier bent over as he shoes a draft horse. Above and below, TO BE NAMELESS / IN WORTHY DEEDS / EXCEEDS AN IN- / FAMOUS HISTORY

This medal was chosen as the 34th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company. Its reported mintage is 1,182 pieces in bronze and 60 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-034, Marqusee 389, SoM 34

The obverse bears John the Baptist in the act of baptizing a kneeling man. Around, BLESSED ARE THE MEEK FOR THEY WILL INHERIT THE EARTH.

The reverse bears a nude Salome holding John's head in front of a horse.

This medal was chosen as the 37th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1948.The medal measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported production quantity of this medal is 730 pieces in bronze.

References:   MACo 1930-001-037, SoM 37