Medallic Art Company

The medal's obverse bears an American soldier giving water to a wounded comrade. In exergue, (circled BN) / ©. The reverse bears a mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion over avast plane of corpses. To left and right, WORLD UNITY - OR OBLIVION.

In his "Message from the Artist" Nebel wrote:

"Modern warfare has developed to such a degree that civilization may vanish from the earth unless there is to be an understanding among nations, and this medal was designed to help impress that thought which, I believe, is uppermost in our minds."

It is fascinating to see this medal in the context of its predecessor (For Conquer We Must). The prior medal is soul-stirring and up-lifting in its depiction of courageous soldiers at one of the iconic moments of war. Only half a year later, the war has been won, and soldiers are depicted wounded or dead. The price of victory and the question of "What now?" has arrived very prominently.

This medal was chosen as the 32nd issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It measures 73mm in diameter. The Medallic Art Company of New York reportedly struck 839 medals in bronze and 60 (out of 700 authorized) in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-032, Marqusee 294, SoM 32

The obverse shows Peace in flowing tunic hovering on clouds before world globe. Around, WORLD PEACE

The reverse bears dove and olive spray on book, rays behind. Around, PEACE ON EARTH, AMONG MEN OF GOOD WILL; signed below, JK / ©

World War II had finally come to a conlusion and the world was exhausted... and relieved. Kiselewski tried to capture the optimistic attitude that seemed to point towards a future that could only be better than what lay behind. In his "From the Artist" he wrote:

"The war was over; the misery and horror had gone. I have tried to portray a simple and cheerful 'World Peace' which would rest the mind from the dismal past and look only to the bright future."

This medal was chosen as the 33rd issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1946. It measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its reported mintage is 802 pieces in bronze and 60 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-033, SoM 33

The medal's obverse depicts various refinery operations with a worker in the foreground. Around, TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE HUMBLE OIL & REFINING COMPANY COMMEMORATING THEIR / PRODUCTION OF ONE BILLION GALLONS OF 100 OCTANE GASOLINE AT BAYTOWN REFINERY; below, DECEMBER 14, 1944 / HOUSTON, TEXAS

The reverse bears three flying fortresses dropping bombs. In lower half of field, YOUR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCING A BILLION GALLONS OF / 100 OCTANE GASOLINE HAS GREATLY CONTRIBUTED TO / THE GAINING OF AIR SUPREMACY OVER OUR ENEMIES / (signature of General H H Arnold) / GENERAL U.S. ARMY / COMMANDING GENERAL ARMY AIR FORCES

On December 14, 1945 the 14,000 employees of Humble Oil & Refining Company were honored at a ceremony celebrating the manufacture of a billion gallons of finished 100 Octane Aviation Gasoline at the company's Baytown refinery. A medal was commissioned to commemorate the event and Chambellan was chosen to design and model it.

The medal measures 62mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1944-012

References:   MACo 1948-015

The obverse bears farmer with shovel, produce on shoulder, and semi-draped wife. Recessed outer border with legend, HAPPY ARE THOSE WHOM PRIVACY MAKES INNOCENT; in exergue, SW / ©

The reverese shows farrier bent over as he shoes a draft horse. Above and below, TO BE NAMELESS / IN WORTHY DEEDS / EXCEEDS AN IN- / FAMOUS HISTORY

This medal was chosen as the 34th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. It measures 73mm in diameter and was produced by the Medallic Art Company. Its reported mintage is 1,182 pieces in bronze and 60 in silver.

References:   MACo 1930-001-034, Marqusee 389, SoM 34

The medal's obverse bears old-fashioned, horse-drawn petroleum tanker in front of shell; below fleet of tanker trucks driving towards left; wreath around lower half. Around top, SHELL · AMERICAN · PETROLEUM · COMPANY; to left and right, 1921 - 1946; signed at center bottom (RC monogram)

The medal's reverse bears outline of state of Indiana with north-western corner raised above; five stars across center. Around top, A QUARTER CENTURY OF SERVICE; in five lines across lower half, FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS SHELL / AMERICAN PETROLEUM COMPANY / HAS MARKETED QUALITY PRODUCTS / IN THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF / THE STATE OF INDIANA

References:   MACo 1945-002

The medal's obverse bears three busts, Brunelleschi, left, Michelangelo, facing, da Vinci, right. Around, · MVNICIPAL · ART · COMMISSION · / CITY · OF · LOS ANGELES; across bottom, BRUNELLESCHI / MICHELANGELO / LEONARDO DA VINCI; signed GLADYS LEWIS BUSH / 1946

The reverse is an empty field surrounded by heavily beaded border.

The circular medal measures 75.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1946-008

The uniface medal bears Demeter, Greek goddess of Agriculture, aided in her efforts by Sun, Sea, and Soil, bearing bundles of grain; scientist and chemical laboratory equipment in background.  Around, FRITZSCHE BROTHERS, INCORPORATED / 1871 · SEVENTY-FIFTH · ANNIVERSARY · 1946

Fritzsche Brothers was established on August 28, 1871, at 62 Cedar Street, New York City, as a subsidiary of chemical maker Schimmel & Co., of Leipzig, Germany, for the purpose of importing and selling essential oils. After more than 80 years in business the company sold itself to Dodge & Olcott, which in turn was bought by German chemical giant BASF, which then sold the unit off to Givaudan.

The anniversary medal bears the design of a previously inaugurated Fritzsche Brothers award medal.  As the brochure accompanying the medal explained, combining Demeter with a modern scientist symbolizes the chemical industry's higher purpose of "converting Nature's bounty to the needs of Man."

The medal usually comes mounted on a wooden paperweight. Establishing the weight and potential edge markings would require the object's disassembly, which I didn't want to do. If anyone has a loose medal and can take the measurements, I'd appreciate the missing data.

References:   MACo 1946-011

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Tadeusz Kosciuszko facing right. Around, TADEUSZ - KOSCIUSZKO; signed and dated at left shoulder, S+KO / N.Y. 26

The reverse bears Polish eagle over crossed halberds in wreath of grain and oak. Around, "HE WAS AS PURE A SON OF LIBERTY AS I HAVE EVER KNOWN AND OF THAT LIBERTY WHICH IS TO GO TO ALL, / AND NOT TO THE FEW OR / TO THE RICH ALONE / (TH JEFFERSON); in four sectors created by crossed halberds, POLAND / RACŁAWICE; AMERICA / SARATOGA; MACIEJOWICE / POLAND; AMERICA / WEST POINT; at bottom of wreath, 1746 1946 / BICENTENARY OF BIRTH; signed at grips of halberds, J.S. and S+KO

Kościuszko (Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciuszko; 1746 –1817) was a Polish-Lithuanian military engineer, statesman, and military leader who became a national hero in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and the United States.

He fought in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth's struggles against Russia and Prussia, and on the American side in the American Revolutionary War. As Supreme Commander of the Polish National Armed Forces, he led the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising.

In 1776, Kościuszko moved to North America, where he took part in the American Revolutionary War as a colonel in the Continental Army. An accomplished military architect, he designed and oversaw the construction of state-of-the-art fortifications, including those at West Point, New York. In 1783, in recognition of his services, the Continental Congress promoted him to brigadier general.

The medal's obverse is based on an earlier 1926 portrait done by the artist and is dated accordingly. If I interpret the J.S. on the reverse correctly, Ostrowsky might have ccoperated with another sculptor on that part of the medal, maybe with J. R. Sinnock, who signed another medal with a J.S. monogram in 1946.

The circular medal measures 63.3mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1946-012

Chambellan designed this medal for the Allegheny Ludlum Steel company that was formed in 1938 by the merger of the Allegheny Steel Company of Brackenridge, Pennsylvania and the Ludlum Steel Company of Watervliet, New York. In 1996 it became part of Allegheny Technologies. I found a newspaper reference to the medal being awarded in 1946, which dates it to the period between 1938 and 1946. Dick Johnson dates it to 1946.

The obverse bears a bare chested steel worker wearing insulated gloves wielding a long rod, with machinery in the background. Above, THE PRESIDENT'S MEDAL; signed CHAMBELLAN / SC. The reverse bears a branch and a star with the embedded letters A-L. Around, ALLEGHENY LUDLUM AWARD; dedication in center, TO HONOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AND OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT.

This bronze medal has a diameter of 98mm (3 7/8in). It was struck by the Medallic Art Company but it does not bear a maker's mark, maybe due to the chrome plating.

References:   MACo 1946-013