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The medal's obverse bears a Native American in feather headdress, facing left. Around top, LUCKY PENNY
The reverse bears historic view of Fort Dearborn. Under building, FORT DEARBORN; around, A CENTURY OF PROGRESS / 1833 - CHICAGO - 1933
The circular medal measures 56.6mm in diameter and was struck in on copper-plated base metal. No mintage is reported.
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Copper-plated base metal |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 56.6mm |
| weight | 60.8g |
| mintage | unknown |
The obverse bears scene with Reverend Davenport preaching the sermon Temptations of the Wilderness to the colonists under large oak tree. Below image in center field, THE DESERT SHALL REJOICE; Around top, QUINNIPIACK; at bottom, 1638.
The reverse bears image of modern New Haven with harbor. Below image in center field, AND BLOSSOM AS THE ROSE; Around, THREE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF NEW HAVEN - 1938.
The edge bears the marks ROBBINS CO. / ATTLEBORO - BRONZE.
The medal measures 75mm in diameter and was struck by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts.
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | ROBBINS CO. / ATTLEBORO - BRONZE |
| diameter | 75mm |
| mintage | unknown |
The uniface medal's obverse bears a kneeling Native American, facing left, wearing feather headdress, balancing an open box on shoulder. Around, IOWA FIBER · BOX · COMPANY · KEOKUK, IOWA · TWENTY-FIFTH · ANNIVERSARY; in truncation, STRENGTH; to left and right of figure, 1920 / 1945; signed above figure's foot, CHAMBELLAN / Sc
The Iowa Fiberbox Company did not leave a large paper-trail behind, but as far as I can tell it was started in 1920 when Corydon Rich formed a box manufacturing company so he could ship Purity Oats that were also manufactured in Keokuk. He hired James O. Hoerner to sell the boxes to other companies so economies of scale could be exploited in the manufacturing process. The box business took off. In 1966, Hoerner Boxes, Inc., as it was called by then, merged with the Waldorf Paper Products Company. By 1994, after several more mergers and buyouts, the company employed 2,200 people and had annual revenue of about $375 million, making it the fifth-largest privately-held company in Minnesota.
This very handsome uniface medal comes screwed onto a wooden paperweight. It is beautifully modeled and has all the hallmarks of one of Chambellan's better commercial medals.
I again follow Dick Johnson's reference in dating the medal to 1944 in accordance with the Medallic Art Company's records, even though the medal commemorates the anniversary in 1945.
The circular medal measures 63mm in diameter and was struck in silver-plated bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.
References: MACo 1944-025
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Silverplated bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 63mm |
| mintage | unknown |
The medal's obverse bears kneeling American Indian sowing with digging stick; spirits veiling moonlight above. Below, MAN MUST SOW
The reverse bears American Indian seated in solar circle on rainbow holding two ears of corn; fields of ripe corn below. Between corn stalks, TO / REAP; to right, D H / ©
Hord devoted much time to studying ancient and modern Mexican art, spending a full year in Mexico. His choice of a Native American subject came as no surprise to people who knew his work.
In the brochure accompanying the medal Hord wrote:
"The corn planters of America were responsible for the great pre-columbian civilizations and the survival of the early European migrants—hence the Amerindian planting with digging stick in hand on the obverse side. A license was taken in the background— portraying literally 'dark of the moon,' the favorite planting time of our white forebears. The reverse side, the sun above the rainbow, personifies the moisture and heat bringing to fruition the planter's efforts."
This medal was chosen as the 41st issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1950. Itl measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported mintage is 725 pieces in bronze and an unknown number of pieces in silver.
References: MACo 1930-001-041, SoM 41
This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 5 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| patina | Golden bronze with deep olive-brown patina |
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE |
| edge12 | THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 41ST ISSUE 1950 - DONALD HORN, SCULPTOR |
| diameter | 73mm |
| mintage | 725 reported (for all Bronze variants) |
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| patina | Red-gold bronze with light tan patina |
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE |
| edge12 | THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 41ST ISSUE 1950 - DONALD HORN, SCULPTOR |
| diameter | 73mm |
| mintage | 725 reported (for all Bronze variants) |
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| patina | Red-gold bronze with light tan patina |
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE |
| edge12 | THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 41ST ISSUE 1950 - DONALD HORN, SCULPTOR |
| diameter | 73mm |
| mintage | 725 reported (for all Bronze variants) |
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| patina | Red-gold bronze with light tan patina |
| edge6 | MEDALLIC ART CO.-DANBURY, CONN |
| edge12 | THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 41ST ISSUE 1950 - DONALD HORN, SCULPTOR |
| diameter | 73mm |
| mintage | 725 reported (for all Bronze variants) |
| material | Silver |
|---|---|
| edge6 | © MEDALLIC ART CO. DANBURY, CT. .999 FINE SILVER |
| edge12 | THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 41ST ISSUE 1950 - DONALD HORD, SCULPTOR - ONE OF LIMITED ISSUE OF 700 |
| diameter | 73mm |
| mintage | unknown, 700 authorized |
The medal's obverse bears a classic Mayan motif of two priests at an altar. Incuse on altar, 1950; In exergue, THE / ALFRED VINCENT / KIDDER / AWARD
The reverse shows a Southwestern pueblo under cliff or in cave, maybe Mesa Verde. Above, FOR / ACHIEVEMENT / IN / AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY; signed T.P. along rim in lower right.
The edge is marked at 12:00, ROBBINS CO. ATTLEBORO / GENUINE BRONZE
Alfred Vincent Kidder (October 29, 1885 - June 11, 1963) was an American archaeologist considered the foremost of the southwestern United States and Mesoamerica during the first half of the 20th century. He saw a disciplined system of archaeological techniques as a means to extend the principles of anthropology into the prehistoric past and so was the originator of the first comprehensive, systematic approach to North American archaeology.
Established in 1950, the Alfred Vincent Kidder Award for Eminence in the Field of American Archaeology was given every three years to an outstanding archaeologist specializing in the archaeology of the Americas. The award has been given alternately to specialists in Mesoamerican archaeology and the archaeology of the Southwestern region &emdash; areas that were both central to the pioneering and exemplary work of A. V. Kidder.
This award, presented by the AAA but selected by the Archaeology Division of AAA, is now given every two years.
The medal expresses the two different archeaological areas of interest through the imagery on the two sides, both of which were designed by Tatiana Proskouriakoff (1909-1985). She not only designed the medal but was also the award's fifth recipient. The Mayan motif on the obverse represents the Mesoamerican area, whereas the pueblo scene on the reverse represents the Northamerican Southwest.
The medal measures 76mm (3in) in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts.
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| edge12 | ROBBINS CO. ATTLEBORO / GENUINE BRONZE |
| diameter | 76mm |
| mintage | unknown |
The obverse bears Cadillac and soldiers in a canoe arriving at shore awaited by three North American Indians. Above, ANTOINE DE LA MOTHE CADILLAC FOUNDER OF DETROIT; below, 250th ANNIVERSARY 1951; signed in lower right, RENE P. CHAMBELLAN
The reverse bears view of modern city of Detroit with inset view of Fort Pontchartrain. Above, DETROIT'S 250TH BIRTHDAY FESTIVAL / 1951; below, PAST . PRESENT . FUTURE; in inset, OLD FORT / PONTCHARTRAIN / 1701; in banner, CIVIC CENTER
The brochure that came with the medal explains that the name Detroit comes from the French "Les Detroits", which means "The Straits" and refers to the strategic location where the Frensh established their trading post.
The medallions were originally sold for $2.00 each, plus 25c for wrapping and postage when mailed. Collectors could also spring for a handsome genuine leather case for $12.00 extra, quite an amount in 1951!
This bronze medal has a diameter of 72.2mm and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 72.2mm |
| mintage | unknown |
This medal's obverse bears allegorical figure representing the Spirit of Exploration at the top; in the center are two explorers surrounded by Native Americans, some of whom are carrying a canoe. Signed on base, J E FRASER
The reverse bears multi-line inscription: COMMEMORATING / THE / SEVENTY-FIFTH / ANNIVERSARY / OF THE / CHICAGO COIN CLUB / 1919 - 1994 / ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ / "THE DISCOVERERS" / A SCULPTURE BY / JAMES EARLE FRASER / MICHIGAN AVENUE BRIDGE / CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; in rectangle below, incuse serial number 00011.
The medal is a reduced replica of a famous Chicago sculpture by James Earle Fraser. The monumental sculpture is one of a set of four that decorate the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The chewing gum tycoon William Wrigley, Jr. paid for both "The Discoverers" and "The Pioneers", this design's sibling monument. The sculpture is dedicated to Father Jaques Marquette, Robert Cavalier de LaSalle, and Henri de Tonti, who explored the Great Lakes area in the late 17th century.
This medal was issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Chicago Coin Club, historically one of the most active collectors' organizations to issue medals.
The irregularly shaped plaquette measures 67mm x 89mm. It was struck in a mintage of 1 piece in gold, 36 in silver and 165 in bronze. The original subscription price was $2,165 for the piece in gold, $125 for a silver piece, and $20 for the more common bronze variant.
This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 3 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 67mm |
| mintage | 165 reported |
| material | Silver |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 67mm |
| mintage | 36 reported |
| material | Gold |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 67mm |
| mintage | 1 reported |
This medal's obverse bears allegorical figure at the top, pointing onward; below, a purposeful man walking with shouldered musket and a hatchet in one hand; next to him, a woman on horseback, holding a baby; completing the group are two more pioneers, a Native American, and an oxen. Signed on base, J E FRASER
The reverse bears multi-line inscription: COMMEMORATING / THE / EIGHIETH / ANNIVERSARY / OF THE / CHICAGO COIN CLUB / 1919 - 1999 / ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ / "THE PIONEERS" / A SCULPTURE BY / JAMES EARLE FRASER / MICHIGAN AVENUE BRIDGE / CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; in rectangle below, incuse serial number 00011.
The medal is a reduced replica of a famous Chicago sculpture by James Earle Fraser. The monumental sculpture is one of a set of four that decorate the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The chewing gum tycoon William Wrigley, Jr. paid for both "The Pioneers" and "The Discoverers", this design's sibling monument. The sculpture was completed in 1928, eight years after the bridge.
This medal was issued to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Chicago Coin Club, historically one of the most active collectors' organizations to issue medals.
The irregularly shaped plaquette measures 67mm x 89mm. It was struck in a mintage of 2 pieces in gold, 32 in silver and 105 in bronze. The original subscription price was $2,500 for the piece in gold, $150 for a silver piece, and $35 for the more common bronze variant ($30 if preordered). In addition to the finished medals, 11 process sets that consisted of nine bronze pieces, starting with the blank, unstruck planchet and ending with the finshed medal were sold for $250 each.
This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 3 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 67mm |
| mintage | 105 reported |
| material | Silver |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 67mm |
| mintage | 32 reported |
| material | Gold |
|---|---|
| edge6 | |
| diameter | 67mm |
| mintage | 2 reported |
The medal's obverse bears caucasian male facing away, head turned to his left; blockhouse in background. Around, AMERICAN NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION; on male figure's back, 120TH / ANNIVERSARY / CONVENTION / CHICAGO / AUGUST 16-20, 2011; signed at lower left, JNF
The reverse bears Native American warrior with tomahawk, facing right; flag with four stars in background. Around, BATTLE OF FORT DEARBORN - MDCCCXII
The Battle of Fort Dearborn was an engagement between United States troops and Potawatomi Native Americans that occurred on August 15, 1812, near Fort Dearborn in what is now Chicago, Illinois, but was then part of the Illinois Territory. The battle, which occurred during the War of 1812, immediately followed the evacuation of the fort as ordered by the commander of the United States Army of the Northwest, William Hull. The battle lasted about 15 minutes and resulted in a complete victory for the Native Americans. After the battle, Fort Dearborn was burned down. Some of the soldiers and settlers who had survived and were taken captive were later ransomed.
Following the battle, the federal government became convinced that all Indians had to be removed from the territory and the vicinity of any settlements, as settlers continued to migrate to the area. The fort was rebuilt in 1816.
The medal measures 69.6mm in diameter and was struck by the Medalcraft Mint of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The mintage was limited to 125 pieces.
This section contains a table of detailed medal information. Currently, I am not aware of any variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any or if you find incorrect or missing information.
| material | Bronze |
|---|---|
| edge6 | 58/125 |
| edge12 | MEDALCRAFT MINT, INC. GR. BAY, WI. |
| diameter | 69.6mm |
| weight | 197.7g |
| mintage | unknown, 125 authorized |