Medallic Art Company

The medal's obverse bears seal of the University of Pittsburgh. Around, SIGILLUM CANCELLARII UNIVERSITATIS PITTSBURGHENSIS

The reverse bears incuse legend, WORN FIRST / BY / EDWARD HAROLD LITCHFIELD / AT HIS / INAUGURATION AS / TWELFTH CHANCELLOR / OF THE / UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH / MAY 11. 1957

The medallion measures 76mm in diameter and was strucki n gold-plated bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo GF265M

The medal's obverse bears a standing boy scout in 1940s uniform signaling with flags and a kneeling scout with binoculars. Around, BUILDING TOWARD UNITY / YOUTH OF THE SCOUT WORLD; to lower left, lamp on stack of books; below, KG monogram ©.

The reverse bears a defiant eagle striding left over chains.

Karl Gruppe wrote in the brochure accompanying the medal:

"As this medal is issued, the threat of war is still upon us. The theme I have chosen is not peace but 'Building Toward Unity.' [...] The reverse shows an eagle freeing himself from chains of bondage. A symbol of America to Americans, a symbol of freedom to to people of other lands."

This medal was chosen as the 46th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1952.

The circular medal measures 73mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported mintage is 762 pieces in bronze and an unknown number of pieces (from an edition limited to 700) in silver.  This is also one of the medals that had one side, in this case the reverse, used in a uniface medal produced by Towle, Inc.

References:   MACo 1930-001-046, SoM 46

The plaquette's obverse bears woman, holding spade in one hand and laurel crown in other, in midst of flowers. In exergue, GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA

The reverse bears empty octagonal field for dedication above oil lamp and oak branches.

The plaquette was obviously issued by the Garden Club of America, but I don't know whether it is used as a membership plaquette or as an award.

The rectangular plaquette measures 36.8mm x 53.2mm and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. I know neither artist nor mintage and would appreciate information from people who know more about this handsome plaquette.

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 uniface medallion bears large number 50. Around top, (GOOD YEAR logo); around bottom, FIFTY YEARS OF FRIENDLY RELATIONS

This is the 50 year version of Rene Chambellan's Goodyear series of medallions. All of these medallions came mounted to a wooden board to be hung in offices or shops that were selling Goodyear product.

Dick Johnson's reference does not list this medallion under Chambellan, in fact it does not have a reference to it at all. Like all other Goodyear medallions, this one also is not edge-marked, so both an attribution to Chambellan and to the Medallic Art Company would be a bit tenuous. 

Both the lettering and the overall style make me doubt that the medallion was designed by Chambellan.  A query to the Goodyear Company has remained unanswered so far.  I will keep it with the  attribution to the Medallic Art Company and without an artist attribution until someone with better information can correct the record.

The circular medallion measures 101.6mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Gustav Killian, facing. Around, * BRONCHOSCOPY * MCMVII * FRONTAL · SINVS · OPERATION *; signed over right shoulder, ·J·E·ROINE· /  ·FECIT·

The medal's reverse bears oil lamp at top.  Around, AMERICAN · LARYNGOLOGICAL · RHINOLOGICAL · AND · OTOLOGICAL SOCIETY; across, · IN · RECOGNITION · OF · HIS · / · LEADERSHIP · / * · IN · * / · LARYNGOLOGY · AND / · RHINOLOGy · AND · / · IN · MEMORY · OF · THE · / · GOODFELLOWSHIP · OF · / · GVSTAV · KILLIAN · / · 1907 ·

The edge is plain.

Gustav Killian (1860-1921) was a German laryngologist and inventor of bronchoscopy.

The circular medal was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. It exists both with a Deitsch Brothers edge mark and with a plain edge. No mintage is reported.

Many thanks to an eBay'er who granted me the right to use the images and wishes to remain anonymous.

References:   Baxter 297, MACo 1907-005

References:   ANS 22, Baxter 302, MACo 1908-001, Marqusee 336,337