This was the 25th official medal issued by the American Numismatic Society.
The obverse bears nude female seated, holding a mirror but turning face away from it. To left, in four lines, 1909; to right, THE / NEW / THEATRE / OF / NEW / YORK / (ANS logo)
The reverse bears a full length female figure standing, holding a tablet from which is suspended a garland. A crtain at each side is drawn back by a nude child; two Roman lamps below. Incuse at bottom, 1909.
Edge is numbered.
This medal was issued by the American Numismatic Society (ANS) to commemorate the opening of the New Theatre in New York. The New Theatre, located at 62nd Street and Central Park West opened on November 6, 1909. It was noted for its fine architecture but due to poor acoustics and an inconvenient location it was financially unsuccessful. The theater was ultimately demolished in 1931.
Although the medal is dated 1909, it was not actually made available to members until 1916. Barbara Baxter comments that
"... the medal commemorating the opening of the New Theatre in York, with its highly decorative figural compositions and sinuous lines, perfectly captures the spirit of the Gilded Age."
The medal comes in two sizes, one measuring 77mm in diameter, the other 106mm. It was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported mintage is 50 pieces in bronze for the larger size, at least 1 in gold, 50 in silver and 50 in bronze for the smaller size.
References: ANS 25, Baxter 220, MACo 1909-003, Marqusee 323