Medallic Art Company

The uniface medallion's obverse bears a frontal bust of Walt Whitman wearing hat and large, unruly beard. Around top, WALT WHITMAN; over shoulder at left MCM XVI / (JF monogram) / MCM XIX

The edge is hallmarked with MEDALLIC ART CO NY BRONZE

Walter "Walt" Whitman (1819-1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. The medallion commemorates the centenary of his birth.

The medallion measures 82.2mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. Its mintage is not reported.

References:   Baxter 156, MACo 1938-033, Marqusee 157

The medal's obverse bears standing Athena/Minerva holding shield with one hand and oil lamp on pedestal with the other. In exergue, NATURAE SPECIES RATIOQUE

The medal's reverse bears six portrait busts, each surrounded by a wreath and labeled with last name: LAPHAM / PECKHAM / CHAMBERLIN / HOY / IRVING / ALLEN; below, THE WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF / SCIENCES ARTS AND LETTERS / 1870 - 1920; signed in bottom right corner, LC

The Latin phrase on the obverse translates to "Nature and her law." Athena, or Minerva in her Roman incarnation, is the goddess of wisdom and together with the oil lamp symbolizes the quest for knowledge and understanding.

References:   MACo 1920-003

The medal's obverse bears male figure at right, seated on bench, chin resting on his hand, looking pensively at city's skyline to his left; painter's tools at his feet. Around top right, ARCHITECV-RAL; in exergue, · LEAGUE · ; on bench, N.Y.

The reverse bears female figure, r., holding victor's laurels in outstretched hand and palm fronds in other. Signed at bottom right, H.A. MacNeil / FECIT

The circular medal was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   Baxter 351, MACo 1920-012

The obverse bears a U.S. Army Chaplain, wearing steel helmet, kneeling facing right, assisting wounded soldier in drinking from water bottle. At upper edge, 1917 - 1918; signed at left, LAURA G / FRASER / 1920.

The reverse bears cross over U.S. Navy dreadnought, South Carolina class 1908. Around upper edge, AWARDED TO THE CHAPLAINS OF THE / AMERICAN AR-MY and NAVY; across lower half, THE GENERAL WAR-TIME COMMISSION / OF THE - CHURCHES / FEDERAL COUNCIL OF THE / CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN / AMERICA.

The medal was awarded by the General Committee of Army and Navy Chaplains to the Protestant Chaplains who served with the Army and Navy of the United States during World War I.

The medal measures 70mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Gorham Company of Providence, Rhode Island, and the Medallic Art Company of New York.

References:   Baxter 326, MACo 1920-022, Marqusee 166

This medal's obverse bears conjoined busts of Warner and Swasey facing left. Around edge, WORCESTER REED WARNER · AMBROSE SWASEY; in exergue, 1880 · 1920; signed in exergue under truncation, V.D.BRENNER

The reverse bears large telescope in observatory with two men seated to left and one standing on raised platform at ocular, and one at top of telescope mount. Around edge, THE WARNER & SWASEY CO. / CLEVELAND OHIO. U.S.A. / LICK TELESCOPE

The medal celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Warner & Swasey Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Warner and Swasey had worked together at Pratt & Whitney and cofounded their eponymous company in 1880 in Chicago. in 1881 they moved to Cleveland to be located closer to one of their major customers.

The company manufactured lathes and other metal working machines and existed as a subsidiary of Giddings & Lewis until 1992 when it was shut down. Before that it had been acquired by the Bendix Corporation in 1980, Cross & Trecker in 1984 and finally Giddings & Lewis in 1991.

A different version of this medal was issued ten years later, after Brenner's death. On that version, the year was updated and Warner's lifespan was added to the left of his portrait.

The medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze. While the mintage is not reported and neither production records nor dies exist any more, a person who wishes to remain anonymous has done extensive research on this medal. He tracked all available auction sales and reports that no medal with a serial number higher than 297 has ever been sold. This provides a definitive lower bound and probably also a fairly reliable upper bound of ca. 300 for the mintage.

References:   Baxter 142, MACo 1920-028

The obverse bears bust-length profile image of soldier wearing helmet. Signed below bust, DCF.

The reverse bears image of nurse attending injured soldier depicted within cross. Above, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS; to left and right of vertical bar of cross, TO COMMEMORATE - THE VISION AND / ACHIEVEMENT OF - THE WAR COUNCIL / 1917 - 1919; signed below cross, WHL / DCF.

The medal is numbered and contains the maker's mark MEDALLIC ART CO. NY.

This medal was the 42nd issue of the American Numismatic Society. It was co-issued with the American Red Cross in 1920. Daniel Chester French designed it and the Medallic Art Company executed it. The initials of Reverend William H. Low in the medal's reverse were included due to his suggestion that the the nurse stand in front of the bed.

The medal was awarded to twelve New York businessmen who volunteered for the War Council of the American Red Cross. As the Red Cross Bulletin Vol. IV No. 51 (December 13, 1920) states:

"The General Board also presented to the four members of the Wat Council who were present the special Daniel Chester French medal, authorized at its last meeting in recognition of their war service. These were Eli Wadsworth, Cornelius N. Bliss Jr., George E. Scott and Charles D. Norton. The eight other members of the War Council who will receive their medal are Henry P. Davison, chairman; William Howard Taft, George B. Case, Jesse H. Jones, Edward N. Hurley, John D. Ryan, Grayson M., P. Murphy, and Harvey D. Gibson."

The medal measures 70mm (2.75in) and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported mintage is 12 pieces in gold, 4 in silver and 205 in bronze.

Many thanks to the Yale University Art Gallery for permission to use the images of the bronze variant.

References:   ANS 42, Baxter 327, MACo 1920-017, Marqusee 176

The obverse bears facing bust of Marshal Foch. Around, COMMEMORATING THE VISIT OF MARSHALL FOCH TO THE VNITED STATES; to left, MCMXXI; to right, A N S with oak leafs.

The reverse presents winged female figure holding shield, between the shields of France to the left and the United States to the right. Signed at lower left, (RA monogram ) / FECIT

Marshal Ferdinand Foch (1851-1929) was a French soldier, military theorist, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces in World War I.

The medal was the 43rd issue of the American Numismatic Society (ANS) in 1921 to commemorate Foch's visit to the United States.

Generals Foch and Pershing had coordinated their trips so that they would arrive more or less simultaneously, even though they were sailing on two different ships. Pershing arrived on Friday, October 28, 1921, two hours before Foch arrived on the Paris. He was given a hero's welcome by the entire city.

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported mintage is 1 piece in gold, 94 in silver, 205 in bronze and 1 piece in copper.

References:   ANS 43, MACo 1921-006, Marqusee 5

The plaquette's obverse bears portrait of Hunt, facing left, on circular field, ROBERT WOOLSTON HVNT around top. Two femal figures flank medal on both sides.  Signed at bottom right, EMIL FUCHS

The reverse bears steel worker in front of steel works, a Bessemer vessel at left, a steel rolling machine at right. Signed at lower right, EMIL FUCHS

Robert Woolston Hunt (1838-1923) was a metallurgical engineer, inventor, and superintendent in the American steel industry. He was elected President of the American Institute of Mining Engineers as well as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which shows the high esteem in which his peers held him. During the Civil War he served as commander of Camp Harrisburg in Pennslvania and as a mustering officer for the state of Pennsylvania, undoubtedly putting his administrative talents to good use.

The piece in fine silver that is depicted was awarded to Edwin Chester Wright for a paper titled "The Manufacture and Properties of Killed Bessemer Steel."  By 1945 the medal had only been awarded nine times, so this is probably a very rare medal.

The rectangular plaquette measures 100.9mm x 69.3mm and was struck in silver-plated bronze or fine silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported. I assume that it was also struck in bronze but I have not encountered that variant yet.

References:   Baxter 294, MACo 1921-021, Marqusee 189, 53

The medal's obverse bears handle of sword, crossbar horizontal and blade pointing down. Across, THE / FENCERS / CLVB OF / PHILA / D-ELPHIA; signed at bottom, 19 (RTM monogram) 14

The reverse is inscribed to FLORA S. FENDER / 1934 / LEFT AND RIGHT; stamped MEDALLIC / ART CO. / NEW YORK

The looped medal measures 29.1mm in diameter (32.1mm with loop) and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1921-027

The obverse image depicts the Farnham monumen of Simon Bolivar. Around, MONVMENTO · ERIGIDO · EN · LA · COLINA · BOLIVAR · DEL · CENTRAL · PARK · DE · NVEVA · YORK · E · INAVGVRADO · EL · 19 · DE · ABRIL · DE · 1921; signed on exergue, SALLY JAMES FARNHAM / ©

The reverse shows two allegorical figures representing the two American continents united in the causes of Liberty and Justice, rising sun to their left. Around, "LA · GLORIA · ESTA · EN · SER · GRANDE · Y · EN · SER · VTIL - BOLIVAR"; over sun, EL · LIBERTADOR / 1783 - 1830

Farham created this medal to commemorate the dedication of her best-known work, the equestrian Simon Bolivar in New York's Central Park.

The Whitehead and Hoag Company, as well as the Medallic Art Company each struck versions of this 2 1/2 inch medal. Farnham exhibited it at the 1923 annual exhibition of the National Academy of Design.

Many thanks to the creator of sallyjamesfarnham.org for the beautiful images and the associated information.

References:   MACo 1921-040, Marqusee 137