Medals bearing Native Americans

The medal's obverse bears shoulder-length portrait of Native American woman within central roundel, facing left, surrounded by ornate border of fruit and flowers with four superimposed circular medallions bearing letters "XX", "C", "I", and "A," counter-clockwise.

The reverse bears large flower at center, surrounded by legend within line border, XX CONGRESSO-INTERNACIONAL DE AMERICANISTAS / RIO DE JANEIRO / 1875 BRAZIL 1922

The International Congress of Americanists is an international academic conference for research in multidisciplinary studies of the Americas. Established August 25, 1875 in Nancy, France, the scholars' forum has met regularly since its inception, presently in three year increments, with the exception of World War II. Its meeting location alternates between Europe and the Americas. Congress members come from a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, archaeology, art, education, economy, geography, history, human rights, law, philosophy, linguistics, sociology, and urban studies.

The circular medal measures 61.5mm in diameter and was struck in copper. Neither mintage, nor mint, nor artist are known to me.

References:   MACo 1924-040, Marqusee 9

The medal's obverse bears image of a Native American doll that is part of the Tioga Point Museum collection. Around, TIOGA POINT MUSEUM / ATHENS, PA.; signed at right, SJF

The reverse bears an arrow point above a map of the Athens area where Chemung and Susquehanna rivers merge. Around, EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH

The Tioga Point Museum was founded in 1895 by Louise Welles Murray, archaeologist and historian, to give a permanent home to the wealth of history, archaeology, and the art and artifacts of world cultures in Athens, Pennsylvania. It has often been referred to as a "museum of a museum" because it unites disparate collections from various community members who had travelled the world.

References:   MACo 1925-041

References:   ANS 46, Baxter 353, Marqusee 252

The medal's obverse bears bust of William Penn, facing quarter-right. Around, 1682 · ARRIVAL OF WILLIAM PENN IN AMERICA · 1932; to left and right, AETIS. 22. - 1666.; signed over shoulder at right, Kilenyi; SAMPLE stamped across figure.

The medal's reverse bears scene of William Penn shaking hands with Native American leader, tribal council seated around, forest in back.

The circular medal was struck in bronze and sterling silver by the Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey.  While quite common as a "So-called Dollar" with a diameter of 38.1mm in bronze, the silver variant is much less common and the large bronze medal has a reported mintage of only 250 pieces.

The small "So-called Dollar" variants have the numbers 461 and 462 in the Hibler & Kappen catalog of "So-called Dollars."

Many thanks to Harry Waterson for the information on mintages.

The obverse bears kneeling native American brave, peering into distance; behind, grain elevator, air plane, locomotive, powerline and smokestacks. Above, SURELY BUFFALO ADVANCES.

The reverse bears image of Buffalo City Hall. Above, BUFFALO CENTENNIAL; below, 1832 - 1932.

The Buffalo City Hall was completed just one year before the city's centennial. It is one of the largest and tallest municipal buildings in the United States and one of the tallest buildings in Western New York. It was designed by John Wade, chief architect, with the assistance of George Dietel. The friezes were sculpted by Albert Stewart and the sculpture executed by Rene Paul Chambellan. At a guess, one of the two also designed and modeled this medal but I can't be sure.

This medal measures 57mm (2 1/4in) in diameter.

References:   Marqusee 16