Medallic Art Collector's Selection

The medal's obverse bears standing Columbia with cornucopia in her arm, her cloak fluttering dramatically behind her; at her feet, winged cherub bearing sign labeled INDUSTRY; winged wheel at lower left; exposition building in background. Around upper left, ATLANTA - GEORGIA / U-S-A; signed around lower right, PH MARTINY - SC · NY ·

The reverse bears eagle at top, palm frond at left and cotton branch at right. Across, COTTON STATES / AND INTERNATIONAL / EXPOSITION / AWARDED TO / (cartouche engraved I. V. Joyce) / ATLANTA / GEORGIA / U · S · A / MDCCCXCV

The Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 was held at the in Atlanta, Georgia. Nearly 800,000 visitors attended the event. The exposition was designed to promote the region to the world and showcase products and new technologies as well as to encourage trade with Latin America.

This is probably one of my all-time favorite exposition medals. It is modeled in extremely deep relief and is a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts design.

The circular medal measures 57.4mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island. 

References:   Baxter 92, Marqusee 258

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

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Thodore Low De Vinne, half right; de Vinne's signature around edge.  Around, THE VNITED TYPTHETAE OF AMERICA / ORGANIZED - 1887; signed at left (JBB monogram)

The reverse bears organization's coat of arms over crossed palm and laurel branches. On streamer across, PRESENTED BY - THE UNITED TYPOTHETAE OF AMERICA / TO; in cartouche, HARRY P. PEARS / SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT / 1902; signed at lower right, DAVISON, PHILA.

The United Typothetae of America was the predecessor organization to Printing Industries of America, Established in 1887, it had no permanent headquarters until 1902 when an office opened in New York City. This medal might well have been awarded to Harry Pears on the occasion of the group's building inauguration.

The medal's sculptor and date are somewhat uncertain.  Dick Johnson lists Henry Kirke Bush-Brown as the medal's sculptor and dates the medal to around 1910. Yet the medal is signed with his son James' initials and has an engraved date of 1902. Unfortunately, if James really was the sculptor and the medal really was awarded in 1902 as the engraving suggests, we have another problem: James was only nine years old and could not have designed the medal. Maybe the father designed the medal and the son sculpted it and got to sign it and it was awarded retroactively.

Unless we choose to disregard all information, we are left with a medal dating to between 1900 and 1920 and at least one member of the Bush-Brown family as the medal's sculptor. Maybe a descendent of the artists can shed some light on the mystery.  For now, I have given the meal to the son because it bears his signature.

The circular medal measures 63.8mm in diameter and was struck by Davison of Philadelphia. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears a galleon under full sail, facing half right. Around, YACHT · RACING · ASSOCIATION · OF · LONG · ISLAND · SOVND ☩

The reverse bears a wreath surrounding center field left empty for inscription.

The edge is marked BRONZE.

The Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound traces its roots back to a 1906 meeting of nine or ten avid sailors, including George Granberry, Harry Jackson, Dr. A.E. Black and J.W. Alker.  They had gathered in the Hotel Astor's yachting room and came up with the idea of the Handicap Yacht Racing Class of Long Island Sound.  From the humble beginnings of six boats competing on one class the association quickly grew to hundreds of boats racing in multiple divisions and classes.

While I could not track down a date for the first medal award I am fairly confident that medals were awarded early on in the association's racing history and have dated the medal in the 1900's.  A much more abstract (and much less expensive) version of the medal is still awarded today.

The circular medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Tiffany & Co. of New York.

The medal's obverse bears Daedalus in flight, reaching for a star, his gossamer wings before large sun on star-strewn background; mountains below.  Along left and right edge, DAEDALUS - THE ARTIFICER

The reverse bears the guild's coat of arms with plough and tall ship in oval field, hand holding scales above, and palm fronds flanking. Around, ARTS & CRAFTS - GUILD - PHILADELPHIA; at bottom, MASTER / CRAFTSMAN / MEDAL

The Arts and Crafts movement was a social and aesthetic counterpoint to increasing industrialization and commoditization of work,  Arts and Crafts proponents sought to revitalize ideas of craftsmanship and artistic harmony in the areas of Architecture and Decorative Arts.  The Philadelphia Arts and Crafts Guild traces its roots back to several artist communities that were founded around the turn of the 19th century. The movement was already waning around the time of Workld War I.

The Arts & Crafts Guild of Philadelphia was organized in 1905 and formally incorporated in 1911. An entry in a directory shows the Guild having 115 members in 1914. The medal is unsigned and undated but the history of the Arts and Crafts Movement in Philadelphia makes it likely that it was designed in the late 1900's, maybe the early 1910's. Any further information would be highly welcome.

The octagonal medal measures 53.2mm x 69.9mm and was struck in bronze. No mintage is reported.

This medal's obverse depicts Truth guiding Apollo's chariot. At top, LVX ET / VERITAS; signed at bottom, B L PRATT

The reverse bears five lines of inscription flanked by burning torches, VNIVERSITAS YALENSIS / A D MDCCCCI / CONCELEBRAT / COLLEGIVM YALENSE / A D MDCCI CONDITVM

The edge is hallmarked TIFFANY & CO

Bela Lyon Pratt was himself a graduate of Yale and was commissioned in 1899 by Professors Weir and Niemeyer to design this medal for the upcoming 200th anniversary of Yale College. The medal was struck in silver and bronze. One of the silver medals was given to President Theodore Roosevelt and one of the bronze medals was taken into space by Astronaut Joseph B. Allen.

This is a beautiful medal with a very appropriate design for one of great universities of the world.

The circular medal measures 70mm in diameter and was produced by Tiffany & Company of New York. It was struck in bronze and silver in unknown mintages.

References:   Baxter 217, Marqusee 325

The medal's obverse bears Liberty walking alongside a Buffalo. Around top, PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION; in exergue, field for dedication.

The medal's reverse bears South-American and North-American Native Americans smoking peace pipe together, shields with representations of their respective continents at their feet. Above, BVFFALO / VSA MCMI

The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York from May 1st through November 2nd, 1901. The exposition is most remembered for the shooting of U.S. President William McKinley. Anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him on September 6th while he was visiting the fair.

The medal exists in plain bronze, silver, gilted bronze, and gold variants. The silver and gold variants are very rare but no mintages have been reported. A golden piece was auctioned in 2017 by Rago Fine Arts for over $40,000. 

The medal measures 64mm in diameter and was manufactured by the Gorham Silver Company.

References:   Baxter 106, Marqusee 250

References:   ANS 14, Baxter 123, Marqusee 89