Medals Related to Eagles

The medal's obverse bears a standing boy scout in 1940s uniform signaling with flags and a kneeling scout with binoculars. Around, BUILDING TOWARD UNITY / YOUTH OF THE SCOUT WORLD; to lower left, lamp on stack of books; below, KG monogram ©.

The reverse bears a defiant eagle striding left over chains.

Karl Gruppe wrote in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"As this medal is issued, the threat of war is still upon us. The theme I have chosen is not peace but 'Building Toward Unity.' [...] The reverse shows an eagle freeing himself from chains of bondage. A symbol of America to Americans, a symbol of freedom to to people of other lands."

This medal was chosen as the 46th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1952.

The circular medal measures 73mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported mintage is 762 pieces in bronze and an unknown number of pieces (from an edition limited to 700) in silver.  This is also one of the medals that had one side, in this case the reverse, used in a uniface medal produced by Towle, Inc.

References:   MACo 1930-001-046, SoM 46

The obverse bears two standing female figures. The taller is Columbia, arms spread wide holding the United States. The youthful maiden represents the Louisiana Purchase Territory. Emblematic of her reception into the union, the maiden is divesting herself of the cloak of France, the material decorated with bees, the emblem of Napoleon. In the background is the rising sun, marking the dawn of a new era of progress to the nation. Around, UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION - SAINT LOUIS - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; below the year MCMIV.

The reverse bears an eagle over architectural tablet with inscription BRONZE MEDAL / LOUISIANA PURCHASE / EXPOSITION. Two dolphins symbolizing the nation's eastern and western ocean boundaries frame the tablet on the sides.

The Saint Louis Award Medal is one of Weinman's earliest commissions for a medal, and one that made him justifiably famous.

The medal was created in five different versions and four different shapes to distinguish between Grand Prizes, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Commemorative medals.

The rounded square bronze medal measures 67.2mm x 67.2mm and weights approximately 181 grams. The U.S. Mint at Philadelphia struck 11,550 silver award medals in bronze.

The obverse bears two standing female figures. The taller is Columbia, arms spread wide holding the United States. The youthful maiden represents the Louisiana Purchase Territory. Emblematic of her reception into the union, the maiden is divesting herself of the cloak of France, the material decorated with bees, the emblem of Napoleon. In the background is the rising sun, marking the dawn of a new era of progress to the nation. Around, UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION - SAINT LOUIS - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; below the year MCMIV.

The reverse bears an eagle over architectural tablet with inscription BRONZE MEDAL / LOUISIANA PURCHASE / EXPOSITION. Two dolphins symbolizing the nation's eastern and western ocean boundaries frame the tablet on the sides.

The Saint Louis Award Medal is one of Weinman's earliest commissions for a medal, and one that made him justifiably famous.

The medal was created in five different versions and four different shapes to distinguish between Grand Prizes, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Commemorative medals.

The shiled-shaped bronze medal measures 71.8mm x 71.8mm and weights approximately 146.2 grams. The U.S. Mint at Philadelphia struck 9,000 gold award medals in bronze.

The obverse bears two standing female figures. The taller is Columbia, arms spread wide holding the United States. The youthful maiden represents the Louisiana Purchase Territory. Emblematic of her reception into the union, the maiden is divesting herself of the cloak of France, the material decorated with bees, the emblem of Napoleon. In the background is the rising sun, marking the dawn of a new era of progress to the nation. Around, UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION - SAINT LOUIS - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; below the year MCMIV.

The reverse bears an eagle over architectural tablet with inscription BRONZE MEDAL / LOUISIANA PURCHASE / EXPOSITION. Two dolphins symbolizing the nation's eastern and western ocean boundaries frame the tablet on the sides.

The Saint Louis Award Medal is one of Weinman's earliest commissions for a medal, and one that made him justifiably famous.

The medal was created in five different versions and four different shapes to distinguish between Grand Prizes, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Commemorative medals.

The circular bronze medal has a diameter of 64mm (2.5in) and weights approximately 105 grams. The U.S. Mint at Philadelphia struck 10,000 bronze award medals in brass.

The medal's obverse bears cotton gin surrounded by wreath of cotton branches within border of twisted cotton lengths and beaded rim. Around, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COTTON MANUFACTURERS; above gin, FOUNDED / · 1854 · ; under gin, INCORPORATED / DEC. 1894

The reverse bears spread eagle at bottom with laurel and oak forming wreath behind. In center field, engraved dedication: TO / ROBERT MARTIN GREGG / A GRADUATE OF / BRADFORD DURFEE / TEXTILE SCHOOL / FOR HIGHEST / EXCELLENCE / JUNE · 8 · 1933; on streamer under eagle's wings, A - 18 - 99 - D

This medal harkens back to the days when the south coast of New England was a powerhouse of textile manufacturing. The National Textile Association traces its history to 1854, the founding date of the Hampden County (Massachusetts) Cotton Spinners' Association, subsequently renamed the New England Cotton Manufacturers' Association (1865). The organization was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on December 1, 1894 and became the National Association of Cotton Manufacturers in April, 1906.

Bradford Durfee Textile School was a college in Fall River, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1895, incorporated in 1899 and opened its doors in 1904.

The circular medal measures 63.7mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island. No mintage is reported.

The plaquette bears sword-wielding goddess of victory striding left, facing right; behind her, eagle swooping towards left edge where sun is rising. Around top, on scroll, VICTORY; at bottom, ART / WAR / RELIEF

Paul Manship was a fierce patriot and supporter of the Red Cross' humanitarian efforts in Europe. On the U.S. homefront, he was a member of auxiliary 282 of the New York Chapter of the Red Cross, also called "Art War Relief."  That group assisted the war effort by raising funds via the sale of donated art, by creating special patriotic art, and by painting landscape targets for the training of artillery personnel.

Manship's plaquette is a beautiful example of art -deco bas-relief. It usually comes mounted on a black bakelit base and can be found in original bronze or patinated green variants.  It is part of many museum collections world-wide.

The plaquette itself measures 60mm by 76mm and is made of bronze. No mintage is reported.

References:   Baxter 368

This massive plaque bears nude child in crucifixion pose with cloth draped over sex and Eagle with spread wings in support. Around top, CHILDREN'S YEAR; across lower left, APRIL 6·1918· / APRIL·6·1919·; signed around lower right, Beach

The Children's Year was a campaign laucnhed by the Children's Bureau to save 100,000 infants who would normally die from childhood diseases. The date was significant because it marked the first anniversary of America's entry into the First World War and this campaign was very much part of the national war effort.  The effort would include the registration of every child born, prenatal care for mothers, regular weighing and examination of babies, and the creation of a bureaucracy at the state and city level to support these measures.

The plaque represents the obverse of a medal, produced by the Medallic Art Company as well, that also commemorated the first Chidlren's Year.

The circular plaque is mounted on a large mahogany board. The galvano cast plaque itself measures 489mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No numbers are rported, but there can't be many of these.

References:   Baxter 243

The medal's obverse bears American eagle holding arrows and olive branch in its talons on shield over crossed cannon barrels and fasces; large round knob at top.

The reverse bears a scroll for dedication and two protruding bearings, unholed.

It is unknown whether Manship created this design for a commission, a design competition, or independently from a sense of patriotic fervor. Manship certainly was a fierce patriot who did what he could to support the war effort. The exact date for this design is also not known but one of the other designs, the Army Valor decoration, has a sample date of 1918 inscribed on the reverse.  They all date roughly to the end of World War I, probably 1918 or 1919.

The cast bronze measures approximately 64.3mm x 79.5mm and weighs 251.7g.

The medal's obverse bears American eagle holding arrows and olive branch in its talons forming body of medal over crossed fasces. At top, ball and cartouche inscribed with VALOR

The reverse bears a scroll for dedication and two protruding bearings, unholed.

While similar to the other decoration designs, this one lacks the cannons, probably meaning that it was intended as a valor decoration applying to the entire armed services rather than just the Army.

It is unknown whether Manship created this design for a commission, a design competition, or independently from a sense of patriotic fervor. Manship certainly was a fierce patriot who did what he could to support the war effort. The exact date for this design is also not known but one of the other designs, an Army Valor decoration, has a sample date of 1918 inscribed on the reverse.  They all date roughly to the end of World War I, probably 1918 or 1919.

The cast bronze measures approximately 91.4mm x 92mm and weighs 341.2g.

The medal's obverse bears American eagle holding arrows and olive branch in its talons on shield over crossed cannon barrels and fasces; large round knob above cartouche with VALOR at top.

The reverse bears a cartouche with ARMY under ball at top and a scroll inscribed with AWARDED TO / JOHN / DOE / 1918.

It is unknown whether Manship created this design for a commission, a design competition, or independently from a sense of patriotic fervor. Manship certainly was a fierce patriot who did what he could to support the war effort.

The sample inscription on the reverse indicates that he created the design in 1918 but he could certainly have used the prior year's number in a later design.

The cast bronze measures approximately 76.8mm x 96.9mm and weighs 273.7g.