All Medals

The uniface medallion bears nude male painter, r., seated on stool, pallet cradled in left arm, brush raised in outstretched right; rolled canvas and vase filled with brushes at his feet. Signed in exergue, V. D. Brenner

Brenner succeeds in conveying the passion with which the painter pursues his art. His attention is fixed on the canvas that is not visible in the design and his body is expressing tension and passion rather than relaxed engagement.

This is probably a design for a two-sided medal.  It was struck in lead covered by a thin copper shell, a method that allowed the almost seamless combination of two such medal halves by soldering them together. 

Many thanks to the Numismatics department of the Yale University Art Gallery for their generosity and assistance in making this medal available to me for research.

References:   BG 27

The medal's obverse bears six carousel animals including horse, merlion, zebra, lion, and stag, arranged in circle around heavily ornamented edge. Poles bear labeled flags at center, together reading "QUOD / POSSUM / AGAM / EGI / QUOD / POTUI." Signed at bottom, (JOV monogram)

The reverse bears calendar panel with decorations reminiscent of fair attractions. At bottom, 1988

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in a variety of materials by the Medallic Art Company. No mintages are reported and I am merely speculating that other variants exist.

References:   MACo 1987-251, Cal MA-1988

The medal's obverse bears three draped female figures in the process of sculpting, drawing, and painting. Around, NATIONAL · ASSOCIATION · OF · WOMEN · ARTISTS; below, . FOUNDED 1889 .

The reverse bears a stylized sun in field at top. Below, AWARDED TO / (empty field) / FOR / (empty field); signed to right of sun, (BP monogram)

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO NY

In 1889 women were still barred from full membership in the male-dominated National Academy of Design. Five women, Grace Fitz-Randolph, Edith Mitchill Prellwitz, Adele Frances Bedell, Anita C. Ashley, and Elizabeth S. Cheever, were finally fed up with the status quo and founded the Women's Art Club. The organization flourished and in 1913 was renamed the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors, reflecting its national influence and the increasing number of women sculptors. Through the 1920s the organization was sponsoring exhibitions nationally and abroad.

In the 1930s membership grew to over 1,000 and the organization opened its Argent Galleries on 57th Street in New York City. In 1941, the organization changed its name again to the National Association of Women Artists.

This medal is a redesign of an earlier version that had the same center image but the earlier name around the obverse's circumference.

The heptagonal medallion measures 70mm from side to side and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its mintage is not reported.

References:   MACo 1983-280

The medal's obverse bears Abraham Lincoln portrait facing right.

The reverse bears Lincoln's log cabin birth place at left and dome of Capitol building at right, sun between them.  palm frond at left, oak leaves at right. Across, CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION / EMANCIPATOR OF A RACE / SAVIOR OF THE UNION / 1909; signed in tiny letters at lower left, THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO.

The circular medal measures 50.9mm in diameter and was struck by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears view of temple with people on plaza in front and landscape behind. Signed at lower left, DAB

The reverse bears calendar panels inscribed into two columns next to image of multi-breasted mother-goddess Artemis. Beside goddess, ARTEMIS; at right, 2002

The Temple of Artemis calendar medal was the fifth issue in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World series. It was designed by Mark Frost and sculpted by Douglas A. Birdwell. The medal is drilled at the bottom to allow it to be pin-mounted on a display stand. 

The circular medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of Dayton, Nevada. No mintages are reported.  The bronze pieces originally sold for $34.95, the silver pieces for $169.

References:   Cal MA-2002

The medallion's obverse bears figure in bedouin garb, hand over eyes as if to shield them from the sun. Across, TO / GREATER VISION THROUGH / OPTICAL SCIENCE / BAUSCH / & LOMB; around bottom, · CONTINUOUS · CONTROL · OF · EVERY · PROCESS · THROUGH · GLASS · MAKING · AND · SCIENTIFIC · COMPUTATION · TO · FINISHED · PRODUCT · ; signed and dated at bottom over rim, C.A. HAFNER 1919

The reverse bears legend only; across, THIS MEDALLION WAS / CREATED FOR / BAUSCH & LOMB OPTICAL CO. / OF ROCHESTER, N.Y. / BY / FRANK SEAMAN INCORPORATED / MERCHANDISING AND / ADVERTISING SERVICE / NEW YORK; at bottom over rim, GORHAM CO.

This is a simple and beautiful corporate advertising medal that reminds me a little bit of Daniel Chester French's great "Mourning Victory," even though the subject matter is totally different.

The circular medallion measures 89.2mm in diameter, 9mm in thickness, and weighs in at a massive 507g. It was manufactured by the Gorham Manufacturring Company of Providence, Rhode Island. No mintage is reported.

Many thanks to Igor A. Osipov for identifying the artist based on the tiny signature that I could not make out on my medal and providing me with the medal's weight.  My scale only goes to 500g...

The obverse bears kneeling mother with child cowering before Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in sky above; serpent-like gas mask at her knee, castle and ancient ruin in background. In exergue, THE OLD WORLD / 1939; in lower field, E. McCARTAN / ©

The reverse bears mother in 1930s dress with book and child, basket of flowers by her knee, skyscrapers left, forst right, under radiant sun. In exergue, THE NEW WORLD / 1939

At the time this medal was being designed the situation on the European continent had deteriorated so much that all-out war seemed likely. America seemed far-removed from the insecurities and problems that the old world was facing. Americans looked over the Atlantic and were very much disinclined to get involved in yet another Great War. As McCartan wrote in his "From the Artist":

"The broad Atlantic Ocean thankfully isolates is from forces which destroy life and liberty and which impede the normal pursuit of happiness."

Of course, it did not turn out quite the way McCartan and many fellow Americans had hoped. America officially entered World War II in 1941 after already having provided substantial material assistance to its European Allies.

This medal was chosen as the 19th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1939. It measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported production quantity of this medal is 943 pieces in bronze and 100 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-019, Marqusee 259, SoM 19