All Medals

The medal's obverse bears female angel in flight, reaching for a star in the firmament. Signed at bottom, B. LUCCHESI

The reverse bears two hands holding an eight-pointed star. Across, Christmas / 1975; at right bottom, © MACO / 1975

The circular medal measures 63.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver bu the Medallic Art Company of Danbury, Connecticut. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1975-164

The medal's obverse bears winged Italia head, facing left, with stylized waves below. Around, · CROCIERA AEREA (star) DEL DECENNALE · / ROMA-CHICAGO NEW-YORK-ROMA; signed under truncation, R MORBIDVCCI

The reverse bears eight groups of three planes  flying around upper circumference from Colloseum and buildings at lower right via polar bear at top to skyscrapers at lower left; stylized waves between two cities. In center field, REDIT ITALIA / PER AETHERA / MVSSOLINI DVCE / BALBO / DVCTORE; at bottom,  · MCMXXXIII · XI ·

The event commemorated by this medal is a stunning formation flight of 24 planes from Rome to Chicago where they participated in the celebrations of the Chicago World's Fair of 1933 . The fleet, also called the Italian Air Armada, took of from Rome on July 1, 1933 and arrived in Chicago 49 hours later, having stopped for refueling in Amsterdam, Derry, Reykjavik, Cartwright, Shediac, and Montreal.

The fleet was led by Italo Balbo (1896-1940), a dedicated Italian Fascist and early member of Mussolini's inner circle. Though he had only minimal experience in aviation, Balbo was appointed Secretary of State for Air. Rather than treating this position as a sinecure, Balbo took a crash course in flying and began building up the Italian Air Force.  He personally led a transatlantic flight of twelve Savoia-Marchettis in 1930 before leading the Italian Air Armada  to Chicago in 1933.

While intended as a demonstration of Italian might under its Fascist leader Mussolini, America loved heros of any stripe and celebrated him and his compatriots.  President Roosevelt invited him to lunch and awarded him the Distinguished Flying Cross. The pilots were given a parade in New York and Balbo was warmly welcomed by the Italian Americans. 

Balbo was killed by friendly fire when his plane was shot down by the Italian cruiser San Giorgio while he was trying to return to Lybia where he served as Governor-General.

This medal is a master piece of Italian art deco. It is clearly influenced by the Fascist aesthetic but not to the extreme of including the helmeted Mussolini or the nude warriors. The choice of the winged Italia, even a firece winged Italia, puts the medal back into a more civil(ian) setting.

The circular medal measures 60.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and .800 silver by Arte Medaglia, Rome. No mintage is reported for either material.

The galvano's obverse bears bust of the owner of Medallic Art Company, Clyde C. Trees, facing left; to his right, medal press in a circle. Above, · CLYDE · C · TREES ·; signed and dated at lower left, (JSR monogram) / 1940

In the late 1930's, John Curlee Trees, the owner of Medallic Art Company, engaged John R. Sinnock, then working as engraver at the U.S. Mint, to design five portrait medals of MACo's Board of Directors. Medallic Art Company usually created at least one large galvano for each medal they produced. This plaque comes from the family of one of the Directors. Whether all Directors received one or whether this is a unique piece is hard to establish but I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has another one or can provide additional information.

The galvano plaque measures approximately 305mm (12") in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

The ashtray bears rearing Pegasus atop outcropping, facing right. On rim, · CARNEGIE · CORPORATION · FOR · THE · ADVANCEMENT · AND · DIFFUSION · OF · KNOWLEDGE · AND · UNDERSTANDING · ; signed and dated under base along rim, · · PAUL · MANSHIP · © · 1927 ·

The circular ashtray measures 140mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. It is not known how many ashtrays were cast.

References:   Murtha 231

The medal's obverse bears an allegorical female figure holding a lamp and an olive branch in outstretched arms, standing in front of a globe, clouds below.

The reverse bears four shields on a raised circular panel, at top, U.S. shield, at bottom, the United Kingdom's. Large PAX in center; dates 18 - 15 above, 19 - 15 below; around,  ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF PEACE AMONG ENGLISH SPEAKING PEOPLES

The design on the obverse is based on a medal by J.G. Hancock celebrating the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. 

The circular medal measures 64.4mm in diameter and was issued by an organizing group called the American Peace Centenary Committee. It was struck in bronze and silver by Tiffany & Co. of New York.  No mintages are reported. 

There is also a smaller diameter medal with a different reverse.

Many thanks to the Numismatic Department of the Yale University Art Gallery for their generosity and support in making this medal available to me for research.

References:   Marqusee 384

The obverse bears a large bust of John Endecott, facing right. Above, JOHN ENDECOTT; across, MASSACHU - SETTS BAY / TERCEN - TENARY; below 1588 (flower) 1665. The reverse bears the image of the famous Endecott pear tree. Above, GOVERNOR'S GARDEN; accross, SA - L - EM / 16 - 30 / ORCHARD - FARM / 16 - 32; signed LGF below.

John Endecott was born in 1588 in Chagford, England. He was an English colonial magistrate, soldier and the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During all of his years in the colony but one, he held some form of civil, judicial, or military high office. He died in Boston on March 15, 1665. The tree on the medal's reverse refers to the Endecott Pear Tree in Danvers, Massachusetts. John Endecott planted the tree in 1633 and it is alive and bears fruit to this day.

Approximately 200 of these large, 100mm diameter bronze medals were struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   MACo 1930-026, Marqusee 171

References:   MACo 1966-001-003, WWII 3

References:   MACo 1984-115, Cal MA-1983-2

This uniface medallion bears three bicyclists, facing half right, racing for the finish line, two looking forward, middle one with his head down. Signed along seat of left-most bicyclist, EVERHART II

I like how Don Everhart made the front wheel of the leading bicyclist leave the traditional medallion's circle.  It makes the whole design much more dynamic.

Many thianks to the artist for granting me permission to use his imagery.