Medals Related to Youth

MedalsVisual

Red-gold bronze with brown patina

Description

The medal's obverse bears a line of five runners, flying geese overhead, slim whippet racing below.

The reverse bears a nude athlete putting the shot. Flanking the athlete, 19 (RTM monogram) 36 - REJOICE / OH / YOUNG - MAN IN / THY - YOUTH; in exergue, ©

Robert Tait McKenzie is rightly famous for his athletic subjects and this medal is a good example. As he wrote in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"The last fifty years has shown a revival and spread of interest in competitive athletic sports and outdoor life that has no parallel in the history of the world...
As one who has followed this great movement from its inceptionto maturity I have chosen two phases of it for the thirteenth medal issued by the Society."

This medal was chosen as the 13th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1936. It measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported production quantity of this medal is 1,001 in bronze and 100 in silver.

References: 109, MACo 1930-001-013, Marqusee 269, SoM 13

Variant Details

This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 4 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
patina	Red-gold bronze with brown patina
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTEENTH ISSUE
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.
diameter	73mm
mintage	1001 reported (for all Bronze variants)

material	Bronze
patina	Red-gold bronze with brown patina
edge12	M.A.C./.NY.
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y.
diameter	73mm
mintage	1001 reported (for all Bronze variants)

material	Bronze
patina	Golden bronze with brown patina
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS THIRTEENTH ISSUE
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.-DANBURY,CON.
diameter	73mm
mintage	1001 reported (for all Bronze variants)

material	Silver
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS TWELFTH ISSUE - ONE OF LIMITED ISSUE OF 700
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. - .999+ PURE SILVER
diameter	73mm
mintage	100 reported, 700 authorized

Last modified: Oct 26, 2017 16:54

Smooth golden bronze with light tan patina

Description

The medal's obverse bears a guitar playing youth with long hair. The reverse bears a soldier in uniform bearing a fallen or wounded comrade on his shoulder.

This design by Miko Kaufman was chosen as the 87th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It uses the two sides to highlight the split that ran deep through American society in the 1970's. The Vietnam war had polarized society and anti-war groups, symbolized by the guitar-playing youth on the obverse, were at odds with what had previously been mainstream culture, symbolized by the soldier rescuing a wounded comrade on the reverse.

Kaufman wrote in the brochure that accompanied the medal:

"As a whole, this artist's timely message and reminder to those who care to reflect, as we are pulling out of the Vietnam morass, that all our knowledge and philosophy has yet to help tame mankind's worst enemy—man, himself."

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 1,700 pieces in bronze and 175 in silver.

This was the first new issue for which both bronze and silver medals were offered.

References: MACo 1930-001-087, SoM 87

Variant Details

This section contains a table of detailed variant information. Currently, I am only aware of 2 variants of this medal. Please notify me if you come across any others or if you find incorrect or missing information.

material	Bronze
patina	Smooth golden bronze with light tan patina
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 87TH ISSUE - APRIL 1973 MICO KAUFMAN, SC.(C)
diameter	73mm
mintage	1700 reported

material	Silver
edge6	MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. .999+ PURE SILVER
edge12	THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 87TH ISSUE - APRIL 1973 MICO KAUFMAN, SC.(C)
diameter	73mm
mintage	175 reported, 700 authorized

Last modified: Jan 7, 2018 21:15