All Medals

The uniface medal bears seated nude female figure holding scales in her right hand within geometric pattern border.  Downwards at right side, LIBRA; under crossed feet at bottom, © MACO - 1967

Chambellan's Zodiac medals were issued more than a decade after his death and are probably based on designs he made in the early 1930s when he was working on the RKO Roxy Theater.  The 1960s saw renewed interest in astrology and the signs of the zodiac arising in part from the counter-cultural hippie movement and its subsequent adoption into mainstream culture.

Libra is the seventh astrological sign in the Zodiac. It spans 180°–210° celestial longitude. Under the tropical zodiac, Sun transits this area on average between September 23 and October 23, and under the sidereal zodiac, the sun currently transits the constellation of Libra from approximately October 16 to November 17.

The symbol of the scales is based on the Scales of Justice held by Themis, the Greek personification of divine law and custom. She became the inspiration for modern depictions of Lady Justice.

The ruling planet of Libra is Venus. Libra is the only zodiac constellation in the sky represented by an inanimate object. The other eleven signs are represented either as an animal or mythological characters throughout history. Libra is one of the three zodiac air signs, the others being Gemini and Aquarius.

The Libra medal has unusually high relief, with the female figure's head rising a full 5mm above the medal's surface plane, effectively doubling the medal's thickness.

My silver variant is engraved on the reverse.  The dedication reads:  TODD H. OVERTON, J.D., M.D. / OCTOBER 12. 1937

The circular medal measures between 69.7 and 69.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintages are reported but based on my experience I believe the silver variant to be very rare.

References:   MACo 1967-151-010

References:   MACo 1971-013-011, WR 11

References:   Cal MA-1993

The medal's obverse bears Dan, facing right, leaning on his staff, kitten behind him; at right, scene with boy falling of shying horse scared by snake; moon and stars in baclground. At top left, DAN; signed and dated in exergue, © 1970 - E. WEISTROP

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

Dan was Jacob's fifth son, the first he had with Bilah. In the apocryphal Testaments of the Patriarchs, Dan is portrayed as having hated Joseph, and having been the one that invented the idea of deceiving Jacob by the smearing of Joseph's coat with the blood of a kid.

Jacob prophesied that Dan would govern his people as one of the tribes of Israel. The quote runs:

"Dan shall be a serpent by the road... that bites the horses' heels so that his rider is thrown backward."

This is the fifth 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 1969-100-012, TToI 5

The obverse bears a bust l. of Lafayette in Garde Nationale uniform. Legend below, MARIE JOSEPH PAVL / YVES ROCHE GILBERT DVMOTIER / MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE / MAJOR GENERAL IN THE SERVICE OF / THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / AND NOBLEST PATRIOT OF THE / FRENCH REVOLTION; signed J E ROINE.

The reverse bears Liberty advancing with sword, falgsm eagle, 1776 on rising sun, 1789 in clouds. Dedication below, AD PERPETVAM REI / MEMORIAM / MCMXI (for the everlasting memory of the events); signed J E ROINE.

This medal was the fifth issue in the Circle of Friends of the Medallion series. It measures 47mm x 77mm and was produced by the J.K. Davison Company of Philadelphia. Its mintage is probably known... but unfortunately not to the author of this page.

References:   Baxter 303, CoF 5, Marqusee 335

The medal's obverse bears imagery from Egyption mythology, goddess Hathor kneeling in center, facing right, flanked by stylized river and tree, heiroglyphic panels, snake and bird.

The reverse bears calendar panel flanked by Sekhmet and Horus. Above wings with year 1991 in oval frame; below, river boat with kneeling figure holding paddle.

Hathor was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky god Horus and the sun god Ra, both of whom were connected with kingship, and thus she was the symbolic mother of their earthly representatives, the pharaohs.

Sekhmet is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing. She is depicted as a lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It was said that her breath formed the desert. She was seen as the protector of the pharaohs and led them in warfare. Sekhmet is also a solar deity, sometimes called the daughter of Ra and often associated with the goddesses Hathor.

Horus is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Roman Egypt. The most commonly encountered family relationship describes Horus as the son of Isis and Osiris, and he plays a key role in the Osiris myth as Osiris's heir and the rival to Set, the murderer of Osiris. In another tradition Hathor is regarded as his mother and sometimes as his wife. Horus served many functions, most notably being a god of kingship and the sky.

The circular medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Franklin Mint. No mintage is reported.

References:   Cal FM-1991

The medal's obverse bears globe surrounded by pyramid of animals, including pair of dolphins at bottom, rhinoceros, gorilla, lion, kangaroo, crane, bear, mountain lion, panda, eagle, topped by peace dove.

The reverse bears globe surrounded by month segments. On globe, incuse, 2001; in ring around globe, PEACE / HOPE / HARMONY

The medal was modeled by Don Everhart II but the designer is not yet known to me.  Maybe someone can help out with that information.

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Franklin Mint. No mintage is reported.

References:   Cal FM-2001

The obverse bears facade of building with four columns; in center, female figure representing Art descending steps, holding statuette in right and laurel wreath in left hand. On sides, representations of Painting and Sculpture. Above, CHARACTER RELIGION FRIENDSHIP; immediately below, MDC / CCXXX / VII and MCM / XIII; at lower left, (ANS seal); signed at lower right, E. FUCHS

The reverse bears tablet inscribed JOHN / PIERPONT / MORGAN flanked by two draped figures, female holding palm branch representing Fame at left, male with sledge hammer and anvil representing Industry at right.

This is the 30th official issue of the American Numismatic Society.

The rectangular medal measures 90mm x 74mm and was struck by Whitehead and Hoag of Newark, New Jersey. The mintage is 1 piece in gold, 100 pieces in silver and an 200 pieces in bronze.

References:   ANS 30, Baxter 292, Marqusee 188

References:   Marqusee 223

The medal's obverse bears portrait bust of Rudyard Kipling, facing right. Around top, RUDYARD KIPLING; signed above shoulder at left, KILENYI

The medal's reverse bears group of classical female figures on a hilltop holding palm frond, lyre, and book. Signed at bottom, (JK monogram)

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was an English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist. Kipling is famous for works in various fields, including "The Jungle Book,"  "Gunga Din," and "The Gods of the Copybook Headings." His genius remains undisputed though his reputation waxes and wanes with the political climate of the day.  George Orwell for example called him "a prophet of British Imperialism."

The circular medal measures 76.8mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts. The reported mintage is 200 pieces.