All Medals

The obverse bears a large female figure gazing intently left; four small female figures holding lamp and lekythoi. Lower left quadrant, THE WISE / VIRGINS.

The reverse bears five female figures standing and sitting on stair with empty lamps; two sleek cats. Below, eight lines of text including six lines of verse: THE FOOLISH VIRGINS. / "NO LIGHT HAD WE, FOR THAT WE DO REPENT, / AND LEARNING THIS THE BRIDEGROOM WILL RELENT. / TOO LATE, TOO LATE, YE CANNOT ENTER NOW." / "NO LIGHT, SO LATE, AND DARK AND CHILL THE NIGHT. / O LET US IN, THAT WE MAY FIND THE LIGHT. / TOO LATE, TOO LATE, YE CANNOT ENTER NOW." / TENNYSON; below text, © HENRY KREIS.

The lines of poetry are an excerpt from Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Idylls of the King," which is based, as this medal is, on the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.

This medal was chosen as the 36th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It measures 73mm and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The mintage was 599 pieces in bronze and 50 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-036, SoM 36

The medal's obverse bears medallic rendition of John Trumbull's painting "The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker Hill," showing General Warren on the ground, held by a fellow Colonial, with British troops closing in from the right. Around top, BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL; at bottom, 1775.

The reverse bears view of the Bunker Hill memorial obelisk. To its left, TO / COMMEMORATE / THE / 150TH ANNIVERSARY / OF THE / BATTLE OF / BUNKER HILL / 1775 - 1925; signed around lower left, KILENYI

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17th, 1775. Two days earlier, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send troops out from the city to fortify the unoccupied hills surrounding the city, which would give them control of Boston Harbor. In response, 1,200 colonial troops under the command of William Prescott stealthily occupied Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. During the night, the colonists constructed a strong redoubt on Breed's Hill, as well as smaller fortified lines across the Charlestown Peninsula.

By daybreak of June 17, the British became aware of the presence of colonial forces on the Peninsula and mounted an attack against them that day. Two assaults on the colonial positions were repulsed with significant British casualties; the third and final attack carried the redoubt after the defenders ran out of ammunition. The colonists retreated to Cambridge over Bunker Hill, leaving the British in control of the Peninsula.

While the British won the battle, they lost over a thousand men, more than 100 of them officers. General Clinton, echoing Pyrrhus of Epirus, remarked in his diary that "A few more such victories would have shortly put an end to British dominion in America."

My instance of the medal is dedicated on the edge to the colorful Boston mayor James Michael Curley. I don't know whether all instances are thus marked or whether my instance was Curley's personal medal.

The circular medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey.  No mintage is reported.

This medal does not have a traditional obverse and reverse. It is cast of two parts, the upper piece being two stylized fingers holding a coin bearing the ANS seal. The upper piece nestles into the base that bears the acronym ANS on its surface.

This medal was the 56th official issue of the American Numismatic Scoiety's member medal series. It was issued as part of the Society's endowment drive in the period from 1986 to 1989.  While bronze variants were for sale to all members at a price of $100, silver variants were only given to donors who contributed at least $5,000 to the Society's coffers.

The irregularly shaped two-piece medal measures approximately 83mm x 82mm and was cast in bronze and silver by the C. A. Brown Foundry. The production quantity is reported as 48 pieces in bronze and 70 in silver.

References:   ANS 56

The medal's obverse bears nude male lodged between two rock faces, prying them apart with shoulder and outstretched arm; at bottom, ship sailing through opening twoards horizon with skyline of Panama-Pacific Exposition buildings. Around, 1904 THE LAND DIVIDED THE WORLD UNITED 1979 / PANAMA CANAL COMMEMORATION; signed at bottom of two rock faces, NAHL - HYDE

The reverse bears female figure, standing on globe depicting pierced isthmus, holding palm frond and wreath of laurels with cloak or cape of stars behind her; canal with sailing and steam ship behind her. Around, · PANAMA-PACIFIC · INTERNATIONAL · EXPOSITION · / SAN FRANCISCO - 1915

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and wa struck in bronze and silver in unknown mintages.

The uniface medal bears globe surrounded by clouds af right, sun with caduceus at left. Around, · A CENTURY OF SERVICE - TO DENTISTRY /1844 (SWS logo) 1944 - STERLING; signed on bottom clouds, R CHAMBELLAN Sc

SWS Dental was a supplier of quality medical instruments that was founded in 1844.

The circular uniface medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in Sterling silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Like many other corporate medals by Chambellan, it comes mounted on a wooden paperweight. No mintage is reported.

The medallion's obverse bears standing Athena, facing, holding laurels of victory in one hand while supporting burning oil lamp of wisdom on pedestal with other. Across, CENTURY / ASSOCI- ATION

The reverse bears streamer with inscription above mepty cartouche. Streamer reads PRESENTED / BY THE / BOARD of MANAGEMENT / TO CENTURION; signed and dated in tiny letters under cartouche, PM - 55

From 1950 to 1953, Paul Manship was president of the Century Association, which was organized in 1847 as an exclusively male club for amateurs and professionals in the arts and letters. This award was established in 1954 by the association’s Board of Management.

The circular medallions measure between 89.7mm and 91mm and were cast in bronze. No mintage is reported.

This medal's obverse bears portrait of Avery facing left. Around, · PRESENTED · TO · SAMVEL · PVTNAM · AVERY · BY · HIS · FRIENDS · AND · THE · ARCHITECTS · OF · NEW · YORK; signed over shoulder at right, V D BRENNER / 1914

The reverse bears view of building facade framed by trees and shrubs. Above, THE AVERY LIBRARY; below, framed by two wreaths, · FOVNDED · BY · / · SAMVEL · PVTNAM · AVERY · / · AND · MARY · OGDEN · AVERY · / · 1890 · / · COMPLETED · BY · / · SAMVEL · PVTNAM · AVERY · / · THEIR · SON · / · 1912 ·

The edge is marked TIFFANY & CO. FINE SILVER

The Avery Library is named for Henry Ogden Avery, one of late nineteenth century New York's promising young architects and a friend of William Robert Ware, who founded the Department of Architecture at Columbia in 1881. A few weeks after Avery's premature death in 1890, his parents, Samuel Putnam Avery and Mary Ogden Avery, established the library as a memorial to their son. They offered 2,000 of his books, mostly in architecture, archaeology, and the decorative arts, many of his original drawings, funds to round out the book collection, and an endowment to assure the continuous growth of the library.

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck in silver by Tiffany & Company of New York City.

References:   Baxter 141

The medal's obverse bears bust of Commodore Dewey, facing right. Across, THE · GIFT / OF - THE / PEOPLE - OF · THE / UNITED - STATES / TO · THE - OFFICERS / AND · MEN - OF · THE / ASIATIC - SQUADRON / UNDER · THE - COMMAND / OF · COM-MODORE / GEORGE - DEWEY / (wreath and anchor) / (star); signed under truncation D C FRENCH / 1898

The medal's reverse bears young sailor seated on cannon barrel with American flag held furled in his lap. Around, · IN · MEMORY · OF · THE · VICTORY · OF · MANILA · BAY · / MAY 1 - 1898

This beautiful medal commemorates the Battle of Manila Bay. In this battle of the Spanish-American War, Commodore George Dewey's Asiatic Squadron destroyed the Spanish Navy's entire Pacific Fleet while only suffering one casualty to a heart-attack. Dewey was the only American officer to ever attain the rank of Admiral of the Navy, a rank that would today be the equivalent of a six-star admiral, a rank which does not exist.

The medal measures 46mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Tiffany & Co., New York.  Commonly seen with a loop and ribbon, it was awarded by the Navy to all sailors who participated in the Battle of Manila Bay, including Dewey himself (he wore it proudly with the reverse side facing).  Those military award medals are all embossed with the recipient's name.  This medal must either have been a special presentation piece or a design sample but I can't be certain about it. Any expert opinion would be welcome.

Many thanks to Bob Slawsky for granting me permission to use his images.

References:   Baxter 244, Marqusee 178