All Medals

The medal's obverse bears American Red Cross nurse facing right; Around top, · CROIX · ROUGE · AMERICAINE · EN · FRANCE · ; signed over right shoulder, G PRVD HOMME

The reverse bears nurse kneeling next to wounded soldier on a stretcher, holding him up so he can drink from cup she holds to his lips.  In background, forest, ambulance and field hospital, with red cross flag flying from central mast.  Across, AMERICAN / AMBULANCE.  Signed in exergue, G PRVDHOMME

The circular medal measures 68mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Paris Mint. No mintage is reported.

References:   HSoNY 1905

Chambellan designed this medal in the early 1930's for the National Association of Manufacturers.

The obverse bears the Statue of Liberty in the center with light radiating from behind its head. From left to right depictions of the Capitol, orator in front of listening crowd, church, printing press, machinery, and skyscrapers. Above, LIBERTY; signed R. CHAMBELLAN SC.

The reverse bears bowl of fire labeled FREEDOM resting on tripod with legs inscribed REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, and FREE PRIVATE ENTERPRISE. Workers and a mother with children in front of smokestacks and buildings. Along rim on left, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS.

This medal expresses the belief in the benefits of a capitalist democracy, with economic freedom being one of the pillars on which freedom rests.

This bronze medal has a diameter of 76mm and weighs 171g. It was struck by the Medallic Art Company in New York.

References:   MACo 1940-064, Marqusee 108

The medal's obverse bears nude male figure seated on a bench, r., contemplating a canvas held in one hand, brush or pen in the other. Around, PENNSYLVANIA AC-ADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS; at right, FOUNDED / 1805; signed in exergue, H. LYMAN SAYEN

The reverse bears two bound laurel branches flanking inscription, THE / JENNIE SESNAN / PRIZE / IN . MEMORIAM / SARAH / CAZENOVE / ROBERTS / FOUNDED 1902

The Jennie Sesnan Prize was founded in 1902 by Elizabeth W. Roberts, who herself had been a student of the Academy and had won its Mary Smith Prize in 1880.  It was awarded for the best landscape painting at the Academy's annual exhibition and came with a generous moentary award of $100. Ms. Roberts commemorated both her late mother, Sarah Cazenove Roberts, and a model named Jennie Sesnan with whom Ms. Roberts had worked and whom she held in high regard.

The circular medal measures 44.4mm and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse shows Joseph dressed in Egyptian style with bushels of grain and baskets of fruit at his feet; sun to his left. At top left, JOSEPH; signed in exergue, © E. WEISTROP - 1969

The reverse bears Star of David, symbols and names from all twelve medals. In center, THE / TWELVE / TRIBES OF / ISRAEL

Joseph was Jacob's eleventh-born and favorite son, the first he had with Rachel. Joseph gained his brothers' envy and hate because he was Jacob's favorite and because of a dream he shared with them, in which he allegorically saw them submitting to him.  They conspired against him and sold him into slavery, where he eventually became the ruler of all Egypt. Jacob's blessing on Joseph whom he likened to a bull and a wild colt exceeded that of all his brothers. As the comment for this medal quotes:

"May all those blessings be a crown upon the head of Joseph... and a chain upon him that was the ruler of Egypt."

This is the eleventh medal in Elizabeth Weistrop's Twelve Tribes of Israel series. The circular medal measures 43mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintages are reported.

References:   MACo 1969-100-002, TToI 11

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Joseph Pennel, facing right. Around top, JOSEPH · PENNELL; signed and dated at right, SEPTE (JF monogram) MBER / MCMXIX

The reverse bears a coat of arms surrounded by belt with Philadelphia Water Color Club written on it. Around, IOSEPH · PENNELL · MEMORIAL · MEDAL

In the autumn of 1900, a group of dedicated painters founded the Philadelphia Water Color Club to raise the esteem of watercolor in the art world.  At the time, oils and sculpture tended to dominate art exhibitions. Over the decades, the club developed a distinguished collection of works by such greats as Maxfield Parrish, John Singer Sargent, and Pablo Picasso.  In 2000 the club changed its name to "Philadelphia Water Color Society" to reflect its changed nature and scope.

Joseph Pennell was a native Philadelphia artist who created many etchings and posters.  He is probably best-known for having created the poster for the fourth Liberty Loans campaign in 1918.   It shows New York City's harbor under heavy bombardment with the Statue of Liberty partly destroyed.

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was first manufactured by the U.S. Mint. In 1949 it turned the dies over to the Medallic Art Company of New York and later medals were struck there. No mintages are reported.

References:   Baxter 159, MACo 1949-008

The dagger-shaped medal's obverse bears portrait of Martha Graham, facing left on a round overlay. Signed at bottom of hilt, LEONDA FINKE

The reverse bears nude female figure with dagger raised above her head, in dance pose, one leg raised high along the edge of the medal.

Martha Graham (1894-1991) was a world-famous American dancer and choreographer. Her modern reinterpretation of the tale of Agamemnon and Clytemenestra premiered in 1958 and gained rave reviews. It was so successful that it even had a limited run on Broadway.

The medal measures 97mm x 102mm and was cast in bronze in a limited edition. 

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 Uncle Sam, carrying pickaxe over shoulder with one hand and holding spade with other, spade handle bisecting the Americas in background at the isthmus. Around, PANAMA PACIFIC EXPOSITION SAN DIEGO 1915

The reverse bears view of S.S. Ancon in canal lock. Around, PANAMA CANAL OPENED BY S.S. ANCON / OFFICIAL SOUVENIR; in exergue, AUG. 15. 1914

The circular medal measures 34mm in diameter and was struck in gilt bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears a family scene consisting of father with maiden on his knee and mother holding an infant son in her lap. Above, small I.K.1910 followed by larger "FELICITAS DOMI FOCIQVE"

The reverse bears female in flowing chiton holding a branch, blessing a humble cottage. Above, "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME"; signed "I KONTI SC"

In the accompanying book de Kay referred to the scene as

"a father telling some tale to the eager maiden who leans against his knee, the mother listening as she contemplates the little son in her lap..."

He further commented:

"In all ages the family as a unit of happiness and harmony has had its enemies, chiefly men and women who have made a failure of their own domestic lives. But at present the attacks are more hidden and herefore more insidious than ever before... the rage for movement and travel adds to a widespread discontent with the uneventful calm of the home. Massing of populations in towns makes domestic life difficult, while general unrest and dissatisfaction continue to increase, along with a wealth of comforts and luxuries unknown before."

He was also deeply troubled by the women's suffrage movement and the challenge it posed to the "relative position of the sexes" but concluded:

"Members of the Circle who hold one opinion or another will be likely to agree that family affection and the love of the home are worthy of a medal in the projected series."

The circular medallion measures 70mm in diameter and was struck both by the nascent Medallic Art Company and Jos. K. Davidson of Philadelphia. No mintages are reported.

References:   Baxter 307, CoF 2, Marqusee 231