All Medals

The uniface medal bears lion rampant, tail raised proudly, facing right within bold geometric border.  At top, LEO; in small exergue 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.

Leo is the fifth astrological sign of the zodiac, originating from the constellation of Leo. It comes after Cancer and before Virgo. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area approximately between July 23 and August 22; The sign spans the 120th to 150th degree of celestial longitude.

Leo is a fixed sign along with Taurus, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun transits this area on average between July 23 and August 22 each year, and under the sidereal zodiac, the Sun currently transits this area from approximately August 16 to September 15. The symbol of the lion is based on the Nemean lion, a lion with an impenetrable hide. It is a northern sign and its opposite southern sign is Aquarius

The circular medal measures 69.7mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1967-151-008

References:   ANS 40, Baxter 321, MACo 1919-010, Marqusee 49

The medallion's obverse bears a centaur playing the pipe. Signed at bottom, (JC monogram) 87

The reverse bears dedication, TO CAROL / FROM JOHN

The parallels between this medal and the Brookgreen Gardens member medal John Cook had created one year earlier are unmistakable.  Cook was definitely in a "greek mythology" phase at that time of his life!

The medal was cast in bronze and measures approximately 91mm in both dimensions. No mintage is reported, but the dedication is an indication that this might be a unique cast for a person who was important to the artist.

The obverse bears likeness of Alexander Edward Duncan. Around, COMMERCIAL CREDIT COMPANY / ALEXANDER EDWARD DUNCAN - FOUNDER; to left and right of portrait, 1912 / 1937; signed at lower right (HS monogram).

The reverse bears male nude with horn of plenty, seated, beholding skyline of New York City and sun on horizon. Around, $300,000 - 1912 INVESTED CAPITAL 1937 - $63,500,000; In lower field, ALEXANDER E. DUNCAN - JAMES C. FENHAGEN / WILLIAM H. GRIMES - R. WALTER GRAHAM / ELI C. WAREHEIM - SYLVAN H. AUCHHEIMER / HENRY B. MATHEWS - FRANK M. NICODEMUS / WILLIAM A. KOEGEL - HARRY KRATZ / 1912.

The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO N.Y / BRONZE.

The Commercial Credit Company was founded in Baltimore by Alexander E. Duncan and a group of eight businessmen. The company initially lent money to companies using their accounts receivable as security. Starting in 1916, the firm entered the growing field of auto finance, which became an ever increasingly important branch of its business until the 1930s, when the Great Depression caused auto sales to plunge. During this time, the firm bought several debt collection services and consolidated them under the name Textile Banking Co., Inc.

The Commercial Credit Company went through several transformations during its history, which extends to this day. In the 1980s and 90s, the company acquired the Control Data Corporation, Primerica Inc., Action Data Services, Inc., the loan partfolio of Barclays American Financial and Landmark Financial Services Inc.

References:   MACo 1937-033

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

The obverse bears reclining stag before flowering plants. Signed in exergue at right, G K LATHROP

The reverse bears bird, possibly a crossbill, perched on cone, working to extract seeds from it. Around, BROOKGREEN / GARDENS

This was the second of the prestigious Brookgreen Gardens member medals, issued in 1974.

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

References:   BG 2

The medal's obverse bears flying bird with American shield iover ship's sterring wheel. Inscribed in wheel, UNITED STATES - FIDELITY AND - GUARANTY COMPANY / · 1896 ·;  In exergue, U.S.F. & G. / BALTIMORE / MARYLAND

The reverse bears flying bird over wreath. Sword with 1896 at left, staff with 1946 at right; between, FIFTY YEARS / OF / INSURANCE / AND / SURETYSHIP

The circular medal measures 76mm in diameter. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1965-043

The uniface plaquette bears portrait bust in greek or roman style. At left top, ANTINOUS; at right bottom, illegible possible signature.

Antinous (also Antinoüs or Antinoös, 27 November, c. 111 – before 30 October 130) was a Bithynian Greek youth and a favourite, or lover, of the Roman emperor Hadrian. He was deified after his death, being worshiped in both the Greek East and Latin West, sometimes as a god and sometimes merely as a hero.

Antinous accompanied Hadrian during his attendance of the annual Eleusinian Mysteries in Athens, and was with him when he killed the Marousian lion in Libya. In October 130, as they were part of a flotilla going along the Nile, Antinous died amid mysterious circumstances. Various suggestions have been put forward for how he died, ranging from an accidental drowning to an intentional human sacrifice.

Following his death, Hadrian deified Antinous and founded an organised cult devoted to his worship that spread throughout the Empire. Hadrian founded the city of Antinopolis close to Antinous's place of death, which became a cultic centre for the worship of Osiris-Antinous. Hadrian also founded games in commemoration of Antinous to take place in both Antinopolis and Athens, with Antinous becoming a symbol of Hadrian's dreams of pan-Hellenism.

Antinous became associated with homosexuality in Western culture.

The rectangular plaquette measures 60mm x 69.5mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears eagle gripping in its talons a wreath of thistles. Around, MATHIESON / CHEMICALS

The reverse bears chemical plant with silos and smokestacks. Around edge, THE MATHIESON ALKALI WORKS / MANUFACTURERS OF CHEMICALS; around inner field, RESEARCH · QUALITY · SERVICE; under factory, CELEBRATING FIFTY YEARS / OF SERVICE TO AMERICAN / INDUSTRY AND PUBLIC / HEALTH / 1892 - 1942

The medal measures 76.1mm in diameter and was struck in Bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.  No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1942-017