All Medals

The medal's obverse bears mountain lion on the hunt, facing left. Around bottom, THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY; across, 1964 / WILLIAM ELLIOTT / CHAIR OF LIFE INSURANCE; signed at right, PK ©

The reverse bears wall with door, framed by Doorway / to / Protection - 1906; around, · PHILADELPHIA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY · / JOSEPH E. BOETTNER, C.L.U., PRESIDENT / ONE BILLION OF LIFE INSURANCE IN FORCE; signed under doorstep, Philip Kraszkowski Sc.

The circular medal measures 63.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears head of Arabian horse, facing left, stylized moon sickle behind. Around, 1908 · ARABIAN · HORSE · CLUB · OF · AMERICA ·

The reverse bears streamer running in zig zag down height and width of medal. On streamer, AWARDED / IN · CLASS / (empty) / HORSE SHOW / (empty) / (empty)

The Arabian Horse Club of America was established in 1908 in New York.  The founding members were Henry K. Bush-Brown, Homer Davenport, Charles A. Voetsch, Francis A. Huck, and James B. Kilburn. You might notice that one of the founders was Bush-Brown who also designed the medal!

Today, the club is incorporated under the name of Arabian Horse Registry of America, Inc, and in 2002 had 27,500 associate members.

The history of Arabian horses in America is quite interesting. After his second term as U.S. President, Ulysses S. Grant traveled the world. In 1877 he visited Sultan Abdul Hamid II in Turkey and, well-known as an admirer of horses, was gifted two Arab stallions by the sultan. One of the two eventually ended up in America and, together with another stallion and two mares can be considered the first purebred Arabian breeding program in the U.S. 

The second important influence is tied to the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. The Turkish exhibition included 45 purebreds.  The mare Nedjme and the stallion Obeyran stayed in the U.S. and became horses #1 and #2 in the Arabian Horse stud book.

The circular medal measures 50.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1916-002

The medal's obverse bears teacher surrounded by group of students and chemical flasks. Around, AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRE HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY TEACHING; signed on truncation of pupil at right bottom, J. E. R. Sc.

The reverse bears chemical vessels, book and banner for engaving. Around, PRESENTED BY / CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION; on banner, AWARDED TO

This medal comes in (two or) three flavors: one for college level teaching, one for high school, and one for pre-high school. Dick Johnson, who is the authority for anything related to the Medallic Art Company only lists the first two but not this member of the set.

References:   MACo 1957-046

The plaquette bears a winged female figure standing on globe, carrying book in one hand and scroll in outstretched other; flanking her are two pedestals carrying oil lamps of learning and BHS monogram in wreath. In exergue, THE CHARLES E. FRENCH / MEDAL

This plaquette is somewhat enigmatic. It is clearly well executed but not signed. Storer reports two medals (#824 and #1145) that could match, and the one awarded to the three highest ranking seniors in the five graduating classes of Braintree High School matches best with the monogram in the pedestals.

The plaquette measures 99mm x 64.5mm and was struck in sterling silver. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears bust of Brevet Colonel James Duncan,r., die crack runniing through bust from approx. 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock. Around, PALO ALTO, RESACA DE LA PALMA, MONTEREY, VERA CRUZ, CERRO GORDA, SAN ANTONIO.; to left and right of bust, BREVET COL. - JAMES DUNCAN. Signed under truncation, C.C. WRIGHT SC.; and at bottom, S. ELLIS DEL.

The reverse bears legend only. Around, CITY OF MEXICO, GARITA BELEN, GARITA COSME, CHAPULTEPEC, MOLINA DEL REY, CHERUBUSCO.; across, PRESENTED BY / THE CITIZENS OF N.YORK / TO / BREVT. COL. JAMES DUNCAN / OF THE / UNITED STATES ARMY / DEC. 28TH. 1848.

James Duncan (d. 1849) graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1834. Two years later, he served in the Florida war against the Seminole Indians and commanded an artillery company during the war with Mexico from 1846 to 1848. His heroics in the latter conflict caught the attention of army officials, and Duncan rose rapidly from captain to colonel. In late 1848, President James Polk appointed Colonel Duncan inspector general of the United States Army.

The medal was given to him just before his first tour of inspection when he visited New York. He died only months later from Yellow Fever which he contracted from troopers in Mobile, Alabama.

The circular medal measures 53.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the U.S. Mint. No mintage is reported, but the large die crack would argue for a small production run.

The medal's obverse bears male and female nudes stretching towards the sky, winged Pegasus rearing at left. Below, signature G. CECERE / © 1933.

The reverse bears twin peaks with a small tree growing at their feet with stars above. Above, concentric two-line legend, THERE IS NO EASY WAY FROM THE / EARTH TO THE STARS.

It was created in the middle of the Great Depression and, in Cecere's own words, symbolizes

"the age-old inner urge of a large portion of humanity - its never-ceasing struggle to free from the bondage of the sordid and material, its aspiration toward a higher place of existence."

He dedicated his medal to "those who are fighting adversities while maintaining a vision of a higher goal."

This medal was chosen as the eighth issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It measures 73mm in diameter and had a reported production of 1,287 in bronze and 125 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-008, Marqusee 107, SoM 8

The uniface medal bears bude female seen from behind. Above, CIBA; at bottom, LOCORTEN® / (FLUMETHASONE PIVALATE)

Ciba stands for Chemische Industrie Basel. It was formed as a dye producer in Switzerland in 1859 and eventually merged with two other chemical/pharmaceutical giants, namely Geigy and Sandoz, to form the multinational giant Novartis. 

Locorten was a drug developed to treat infections of the ear canal.

The circular medal measures mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1970-035

The medal's obverse bears an American soldier giving water to a wounded comrade. In exergue, (circled BN) / ©. The reverse bears a mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion over avast plane of corpses. To left and right, WORLD UNITY - OR OBLIVION.

In his "Message from the Artist" Nebel wrote:

"Modern warfare has developed to such a degree that civilization may vanish from the earth unless there is to be an understanding among nations, and this medal was designed to help impress that thought which, I believe, is uppermost in our minds."

It is fascinating to see this medal in the context of its predecessor (For Conquer We Must). The prior medal is soul-stirring and up-lifting in its depiction of courageous soldiers at one of the iconic moments of war. Only half a year later, the war has been won, and soldiers are depicted wounded or dead. The price of victory and the question of "What now?" has arrived very prominently.

This medal was chosen as the 32nd issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It measures 73mm in diameter. The Medallic Art Company of New York reportedly struck 839 medals in bronze and 60 (out of 700 authorized) in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-032, Marqusee 294, SoM 32

The medallion bears portrait of Betty Holter facing left. Around top, · BETTY · HOLTER · ; signed and dated under truncation, · P · M · 1919 ·

It is not entirely certain who the subject for this medal was.  The mostl ikely candidate is Betty Holter, who wrote for The English Weekly and corresponded with the Bloomsbury group of English artists and writers during the years between World War I and II.

The circular medallion measures 102.4mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. It is not known how many pieces were produced.

References:   Murtha 119

References:   MACo 1976-171, Cal MA-1977