mining

This medal's obverse bears injured mine worker sitting on the ground being attended by kneeling miner wearing head lamp. Signed at upper right, B.NEBEL

The reverse bears mine safety lamp. Around top, · DEPARTMENT · OF · THE · INTERIOR · / · BVREAV OF · MINES ·; to left and right of lamp, SPRINGFIELD - ILLINOIS / U - S; at bottom, 1925 / · INTERNATIONAL · CONTEST ·

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

Mine safety was a big topic in the 1920's and 30's. Both the U.S. Safety Council and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Mines organized conferences and sponsored competitions to improve the state of the art in mining safety. Organized by the Bureau of Mines, the First Aid and Mine Rescue Meeting ran from September 8 to September 13, 1925. Eighteen of 28 mining states of the U.S. and several countries sent participants who competed for one of two Congressional Medallions awarded for the top scoring teams in First Aid and Mine Rescue. Teams from 70 mines competed in total.

This little looped medal was probably given to all participants of all meetings (1923-1961), so it should not be too rare, but I have only ever seen it once since I started collecting. The design bears a strong similarity to the obverse of Nebel's much better known Society of Medalists medal, which he designed twenty years later.

The circular looped medal measures 32.9mm in diameter (36.8mm in height with loop) and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1923-026

The uniface medal bears a massive steam shovel in a strip mine, loaded bucket at left. Around, PEABODY COAL COMPANY · BUCYRUS · ERIE COMPANY / · FOR THE FUTURE OF COAL ·

Neither of the two commemorated companies exist anymore.  Peabody Coal filed for bankruptcy in 2016 and Bucyrus Erie, a company that was heavily into coal equipment and mining, was acquired by Caterpillar in 1997.

With the advent of Global Warming concerns, coal production and use in the U.S. came under heavy regulation, until it became unprofitable for many companies during the Obama administration.  This medal is a great memento of a bygone industrial period.

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 1962-040