FSH: Assorted medals, tokens, and other exonumia (lots of pics) (UPDATED 9/23)
jonathanb
Posts: 3,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
I seem to be accumulating stuff. Some of these have been listed on this board before, some have been listed on eBay before (not the same "some") and some have never been listed anywhere yet. I hope you find this to be an interesting variety, even if nothing strikes your fancy for purchase.
All prices include my choice of shipping within the US, probably first class for the cheaper stuff and Priority Mail for the expensive stuff.
I'm always happy to answer questions.
circa 1961 Bashlow Confederate Cent restrike 3-piece set
In 1961, coin dealer Robert Bashlow obtained the original (but defaced) dies used to make the Confederate Cents a century earlier. After making transfer dies from the originals, he produced restrikes in a variety of metals, including bronze (20,000 restrikes), goldine (5,000) and silver (5,000). FWIW, NGC will grade this pieces, with a label that reads "(1961) CSA COPPER 1C / BASHLOW RESTRIKE / TOKEN MS xx". I've seen a few three-piece sets slabbed in NGC's multicoin holders, but this set comes with such a nice holder already that it seemed a pity to remove them.
$350
Group of 4 GAR reunion medals
A group of four medals from the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a Civil War veterans organization. Includes medals for the 16th National Encampment in 1882 in Baltimore, the 23rd National Encampment in 1889 in Milwaukee, the 25th anniversary, and the 1899 National Encampment. All four pieces are in white metal, 1.5" in diameter, with varying conditions as shown. The 1882 and 1899 medals are about 50% thicker than the other two.
$80 for all four, or your pick for $30 each
1857 John Pintard / New York Historical Society bronze medal with original box
This is a large (65 mm) copper or bronze medal commemorating the opening of the New-York Historical Society's new building at Second Avenue and 11th Street, showing the society's founder John Pintard on one side and its new headquarters building on the other, with the legend "NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY / FOUNDED 1804. / INCORPORATED 1809. ERECTED 1857". There is a bit of rub on the high points of Pintard's hair, showing clearly as lighter areas in the photograph.
This medal includes its original box.
The obverse of this medal is signed A.W.JONES DEL. F.B. SMITH & HARTMAN N.Y.FECIT, while the reverse is signed more tersely F.B.S.&H. N.Y. F.B. Smith waas a well-known medallist operating in New York in the mid-1800s. Among numismatists, he is perhaps best known for the 'Smith's Tomb' medals (Baker-117, Baker-119, and Baker-121) and related pieces in honor of George Washington.
I can't find any sales records for this medal.
$120
1901 Pan-American Exposition gold award medal
Marqusee 250. A Gold Medal from the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, held in Buffalo, NY. This is actually gilt in composition -- gold plated bronze, confirmed by the edge stamping GORHAM CO. and BRONZE on the edge at roughly 6:30 and 5:30. It is 63 mm (2 1/2 inches) in diameter.
The obverse of this medal shows a striding woman (America?) next to a Buffalo below the legend PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION and above a plaque bearing the honoree's name. The reverse shows a South American Indian on the left receiving a peace pipe from a North American Indian on the right, each sitting beside shields emblazoned with their respective continents. Above them is the text BUFFALO / U.S.A. MCMI. The medal was designed by Hermon MacNeil, who later went on to design the Standing Liberty quarter; his signature is below the plaque on the obverse and on the South American Indian's shield on the reverse
This medal is in XF condition, with some rub and scuffing appropriate for the grade. In addition, there are two scrapes that break the rim at 7:00 or so on the side with the Indians, right at the tip of the North American Indian's foot. The photographs should show the condition of this medal pretty accurately.
Most of the major expositions awarded large medals to their exhibitors. Unsurprisingly, bronze medals are generally the most common, while gold medals such as this one are the scarcest. From what I can tell, the recipient of this medal was the Comisión Geográfica Exploradora, which appears to have been a Mexican organizaation that might be their equivalent of the US Geological Survey. They seem to have been producing topographic maps of Mexico around the time of the Pan-American Exposition; I can only speculate that the medal was related to that activity. This bears additional research from someone who can read Spanish...
$650
1904 Saint Louis World's Fair Paris Mint Medal
Hendershott 30-280, a large (50 mm) bronze medal designed by DePaulis and struck at the Paris Mint. Obverse shows two European-dressed women greeting two Native American women. Reverse reads St LOUIS / 1904 / AMERICA / WELCOMES / THE / WORLD.
$50
1939 Earl B Barnes uniface medal by John R. Sinnock
Very rare medal produced by John R. Sinnock, who designed the Roosevelt dime, to honor Earl. B. Barnes, one of the founders of the Medallic Art Company. I could only find one auction record for this design, and no records for this uniface piece (the one record I did find had a different reverse). 82 mm in diameter. Some spotting on the obverse, along with a glop of what looks like nail polish or glue (I didn't try to remove it), plus some old scratches on the reverse as shown. If you are inerested in other works produced by the artists who designed our circulating coinage, you're not likely to find another example of this one.
$80
1860 Chauncy Hall School Third Silver Medal
This is a large but thin silver medal (44 mm, 8 g) with a diagonally reeded edge. It was awarded by the Chauncy Hall School to Augs (Augustus?) B. Bradstreet on December 31, 1860. The Chauncy Hall School still exists, and is now located in Waltham, MA. According to its web site: "Chauncy Hall was founded in 1828 by Gideon Thayer on what is now the site of Macy’s in Boston’s Downtown Crossing. The school originally trained the children of wealthy Bostonians for careers in business, and later prepared students to attend Harvard, MIT and other prestigious colleges. Chauncy Hall was known for its many innovations in education, including using literature for reading lessons, and implementing a department system to recognize teachers who were 'gifted and accomplished in different directions'. The school thrived in the mid-1800s under Thayer, who was also an advocate for better education nationwide. Chauncy Hall became a model for many new institutions."
$400
1876 Phillips Exeter Academy Boys Crew medal
This is an extremely rare early prize/award medal of the prestigious prep school Phillips Exeter Academy. The obverse reads "B.C. of P.E.A" above "1876", surrounding a picture of a a 6-man boat with coxswain. Reverse reads "Prize / for / 6 Oared Boat / Exeter / June 17". Entirely engraved. This is a 36 mm silver medal with attached loop, which is just about the right size if someone planed down a silver dollar and smoothed off the reeding.
$400
1888 Vassar Brothers Institute award medal
An engraved silver medal, reading VASSAR BROTHERS INSTITUTE / 1888 around ART DEP'T / PO'KEEPSIE / NY on the obverse. The reverse reads, PRESENTED / TO / MISS LOUISE PARKE / FOR THE [SECOND] BEST / PAINTING AND / DRAWING / FROM THE / ANTIQUE. This is a 36 mm silver medal which is just about the right size if someone planed down a silver dollar and smoothed off the reeding. COMES WITH A PERIOD. Includes a hinged red felt and silk box that might not be original (doesn't feel like it dates to 1888). The Vassar Brothers Institute still exists in Poughkeepsie.
$200
Harvard Insititue of 1770 medal awarded
The Institute of 1770 was lecture, debate, and literary society at Harvard University. Its members included Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Henry David Thoreau. The institute merged with the Hasty Pudding Club in 1925, and still exists in that form today. This medal was awarded to J.B. Russell '07.
This is listed as Storer 920, where it is listed as tin, but it sure looks silver to me. It weighs about 41 grams. The full listing in Storer is as follows:
Institute of 1770.
Ob. HAEC STUDIA ADOLESCENTIAM ALUNT. Caduceus and scroll on book. Below, INSTITUTE / OF / * 1770 *
Rx. Hanging from two columns the shield of Harvard with tablets above and below for name and class. 42 mm. Tin.
$150
Harvard Class of 1898 15-year anniversary medal 1913
A fairly uncommon Harvard-related medal showing John Harvard and Memorial Church. It is suspended from a blue and white ribbon that is in excellent condition, and a suspension bar that would have displayed the original wearer's name (now lost, unfortunately). It is bronze, and uniface. This medal was issued in 1913 to commemorate the 15th reunion of the Class of 1898 (Quintdecennial = 15 years, and I can't imagine you'd see that word anywhere but on a Harvard medal). It is one of several medals issued to commemorate various reunions at that time.
This medal is listed as Storer 959. The full listing in Storer reads as follows:
Class of '98. Quindecennial, 1913.
Ob. QVINDECENNIAL Half figure of John Harvard erect to right with welcoming arms. In field, VE / RI TAS divided by Memorial Hall. Below to right, 1898 / 1913-
Rx. Plain. 37 mm. Bronze. By Whitehead Hoag Co.
$50
Harvard makup compact
This isn't a coin, but it's round and mostly flat so I'm going to list it anyway. This is a compact for holding women's makeup, bearing the Harvard logo on the top. 55 mm wide, 10 mm thick. I don't think it's silver. It looks like stainless steel, but I don't know if that's plausible. Maybe nickel-plated?
$50
1957 Dwight D. Eisenhower official (2nd) inaugural medal in silver.
Official medal for Eisenhower's second inaugural, DDE-1957-D. 70mm. .999 silver. Designed by Walter Hancck, with 1031 or 1033 (I've seen both mintage figures) struck by the Medallic Art Company, of which this is numbered 769. This design is prone to heavy spotting, but this specimen is remarkably spot-free, with the only spot really worth mentioning above Eisenhower's eyebrow. There is a dent on Nixon's collar as visible in the picture, with the dent continuing underneath Nixon's chin although that part isn't readily visible in the picture. There are over four ounces of silver in this medal, even ignoring its numismatic and political significance.
$400
1960 South America trip medal for Dwight Eisenhower
President Eisenhower decided to give medals as mementos to those who accompanied him on official trips. Slightly different designs are known for each of about half a dozen ndifferent trips, plus a generic one that doesn't list any one specific trip. These silver medals were designed by Frank Gasparro and struck aat the US Mint in limited numbers.
$200
1927 Lindbergh medal by Prudhomme
A 68 mm bronze medal by G. Prudhomme, struck at the Paris Mint (marked on edge with the cornucopia mark and BRONZE). AU, with some rub on the center of the reverse of this lens-shaped medal, plus pale crud in some recesses.
$75
OLW Religion token
I don't know what this 22mm medal is, and I'm not having much luck doing research. I'll sell it as an 'unknown' for the price listed, but if someone who doesn't want to buy it has an idea for identification, I'd love to hear. The obverse appears to have the letters OLW in a cartouche on a hexagon, with two facets of the hexagon bearing the date JUNE 1921. The reverse is engraved RELIGION / Ede MARTINII. There are two stamps on the back of the reverse. One of them says "[something I can't read] / NEW YORK", the other says "X GOLD". Weight is about 5.8 g.
$50
ND 90% silver $1 blank planchet type II
In the interest of accuracy, yes, that's a fingerprint on the right-side image. And I agree that those look like rim dings, but I can't get a good luck at them in the holder (and I didn't think that NGC would slab something with rim dings, so who knows). Still a really rare piece.
$1,000
All prices include my choice of shipping within the US, probably first class for the cheaper stuff and Priority Mail for the expensive stuff.
I'm always happy to answer questions.
circa 1961 Bashlow Confederate Cent restrike 3-piece set
In 1961, coin dealer Robert Bashlow obtained the original (but defaced) dies used to make the Confederate Cents a century earlier. After making transfer dies from the originals, he produced restrikes in a variety of metals, including bronze (20,000 restrikes), goldine (5,000) and silver (5,000). FWIW, NGC will grade this pieces, with a label that reads "(1961) CSA COPPER 1C / BASHLOW RESTRIKE / TOKEN MS xx". I've seen a few three-piece sets slabbed in NGC's multicoin holders, but this set comes with such a nice holder already that it seemed a pity to remove them.
$350
Group of 4 GAR reunion medals
A group of four medals from the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a Civil War veterans organization. Includes medals for the 16th National Encampment in 1882 in Baltimore, the 23rd National Encampment in 1889 in Milwaukee, the 25th anniversary, and the 1899 National Encampment. All four pieces are in white metal, 1.5" in diameter, with varying conditions as shown. The 1882 and 1899 medals are about 50% thicker than the other two.
$80 for all four, or your pick for $30 each
1857 John Pintard / New York Historical Society bronze medal with original box
This is a large (65 mm) copper or bronze medal commemorating the opening of the New-York Historical Society's new building at Second Avenue and 11th Street, showing the society's founder John Pintard on one side and its new headquarters building on the other, with the legend "NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY / FOUNDED 1804. / INCORPORATED 1809. ERECTED 1857". There is a bit of rub on the high points of Pintard's hair, showing clearly as lighter areas in the photograph.
This medal includes its original box.
The obverse of this medal is signed A.W.JONES DEL. F.B. SMITH & HARTMAN N.Y.FECIT, while the reverse is signed more tersely F.B.S.&H. N.Y. F.B. Smith waas a well-known medallist operating in New York in the mid-1800s. Among numismatists, he is perhaps best known for the 'Smith's Tomb' medals (Baker-117, Baker-119, and Baker-121) and related pieces in honor of George Washington.
I can't find any sales records for this medal.
$120
1901 Pan-American Exposition gold award medal
Marqusee 250. A Gold Medal from the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, held in Buffalo, NY. This is actually gilt in composition -- gold plated bronze, confirmed by the edge stamping GORHAM CO. and BRONZE on the edge at roughly 6:30 and 5:30. It is 63 mm (2 1/2 inches) in diameter.
The obverse of this medal shows a striding woman (America?) next to a Buffalo below the legend PAN-AMERICAN EXPOSITION and above a plaque bearing the honoree's name. The reverse shows a South American Indian on the left receiving a peace pipe from a North American Indian on the right, each sitting beside shields emblazoned with their respective continents. Above them is the text BUFFALO / U.S.A. MCMI. The medal was designed by Hermon MacNeil, who later went on to design the Standing Liberty quarter; his signature is below the plaque on the obverse and on the South American Indian's shield on the reverse
This medal is in XF condition, with some rub and scuffing appropriate for the grade. In addition, there are two scrapes that break the rim at 7:00 or so on the side with the Indians, right at the tip of the North American Indian's foot. The photographs should show the condition of this medal pretty accurately.
Most of the major expositions awarded large medals to their exhibitors. Unsurprisingly, bronze medals are generally the most common, while gold medals such as this one are the scarcest. From what I can tell, the recipient of this medal was the Comisión Geográfica Exploradora, which appears to have been a Mexican organizaation that might be their equivalent of the US Geological Survey. They seem to have been producing topographic maps of Mexico around the time of the Pan-American Exposition; I can only speculate that the medal was related to that activity. This bears additional research from someone who can read Spanish...
$650
1904 Saint Louis World's Fair Paris Mint Medal
Hendershott 30-280, a large (50 mm) bronze medal designed by DePaulis and struck at the Paris Mint. Obverse shows two European-dressed women greeting two Native American women. Reverse reads St LOUIS / 1904 / AMERICA / WELCOMES / THE / WORLD.
$50
1939 Earl B Barnes uniface medal by John R. Sinnock
Very rare medal produced by John R. Sinnock, who designed the Roosevelt dime, to honor Earl. B. Barnes, one of the founders of the Medallic Art Company. I could only find one auction record for this design, and no records for this uniface piece (the one record I did find had a different reverse). 82 mm in diameter. Some spotting on the obverse, along with a glop of what looks like nail polish or glue (I didn't try to remove it), plus some old scratches on the reverse as shown. If you are inerested in other works produced by the artists who designed our circulating coinage, you're not likely to find another example of this one.
$80
1860 Chauncy Hall School Third Silver Medal
This is a large but thin silver medal (44 mm, 8 g) with a diagonally reeded edge. It was awarded by the Chauncy Hall School to Augs (Augustus?) B. Bradstreet on December 31, 1860. The Chauncy Hall School still exists, and is now located in Waltham, MA. According to its web site: "Chauncy Hall was founded in 1828 by Gideon Thayer on what is now the site of Macy’s in Boston’s Downtown Crossing. The school originally trained the children of wealthy Bostonians for careers in business, and later prepared students to attend Harvard, MIT and other prestigious colleges. Chauncy Hall was known for its many innovations in education, including using literature for reading lessons, and implementing a department system to recognize teachers who were 'gifted and accomplished in different directions'. The school thrived in the mid-1800s under Thayer, who was also an advocate for better education nationwide. Chauncy Hall became a model for many new institutions."
$400
1876 Phillips Exeter Academy Boys Crew medal
This is an extremely rare early prize/award medal of the prestigious prep school Phillips Exeter Academy. The obverse reads "B.C. of P.E.A" above "1876", surrounding a picture of a a 6-man boat with coxswain. Reverse reads "Prize / for / 6 Oared Boat / Exeter / June 17". Entirely engraved. This is a 36 mm silver medal with attached loop, which is just about the right size if someone planed down a silver dollar and smoothed off the reeding.
$400
1888 Vassar Brothers Institute award medal
An engraved silver medal, reading VASSAR BROTHERS INSTITUTE / 1888 around ART DEP'T / PO'KEEPSIE / NY on the obverse. The reverse reads, PRESENTED / TO / MISS LOUISE PARKE / FOR THE [SECOND] BEST / PAINTING AND / DRAWING / FROM THE / ANTIQUE. This is a 36 mm silver medal which is just about the right size if someone planed down a silver dollar and smoothed off the reeding. COMES WITH A PERIOD. Includes a hinged red felt and silk box that might not be original (doesn't feel like it dates to 1888). The Vassar Brothers Institute still exists in Poughkeepsie.
$200
Harvard Insititue of 1770 medal awarded
The Institute of 1770 was lecture, debate, and literary society at Harvard University. Its members included Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Henry David Thoreau. The institute merged with the Hasty Pudding Club in 1925, and still exists in that form today. This medal was awarded to J.B. Russell '07.
This is listed as Storer 920, where it is listed as tin, but it sure looks silver to me. It weighs about 41 grams. The full listing in Storer is as follows:
Institute of 1770.
Ob. HAEC STUDIA ADOLESCENTIAM ALUNT. Caduceus and scroll on book. Below, INSTITUTE / OF / * 1770 *
Rx. Hanging from two columns the shield of Harvard with tablets above and below for name and class. 42 mm. Tin.
$150
Harvard Class of 1898 15-year anniversary medal 1913
A fairly uncommon Harvard-related medal showing John Harvard and Memorial Church. It is suspended from a blue and white ribbon that is in excellent condition, and a suspension bar that would have displayed the original wearer's name (now lost, unfortunately). It is bronze, and uniface. This medal was issued in 1913 to commemorate the 15th reunion of the Class of 1898 (Quintdecennial = 15 years, and I can't imagine you'd see that word anywhere but on a Harvard medal). It is one of several medals issued to commemorate various reunions at that time.
This medal is listed as Storer 959. The full listing in Storer reads as follows:
Class of '98. Quindecennial, 1913.
Ob. QVINDECENNIAL Half figure of John Harvard erect to right with welcoming arms. In field, VE / RI TAS divided by Memorial Hall. Below to right, 1898 / 1913-
Rx. Plain. 37 mm. Bronze. By Whitehead Hoag Co.
$50
Harvard makup compact
This isn't a coin, but it's round and mostly flat so I'm going to list it anyway. This is a compact for holding women's makeup, bearing the Harvard logo on the top. 55 mm wide, 10 mm thick. I don't think it's silver. It looks like stainless steel, but I don't know if that's plausible. Maybe nickel-plated?
$50
1957 Dwight D. Eisenhower official (2nd) inaugural medal in silver.
Official medal for Eisenhower's second inaugural, DDE-1957-D. 70mm. .999 silver. Designed by Walter Hancck, with 1031 or 1033 (I've seen both mintage figures) struck by the Medallic Art Company, of which this is numbered 769. This design is prone to heavy spotting, but this specimen is remarkably spot-free, with the only spot really worth mentioning above Eisenhower's eyebrow. There is a dent on Nixon's collar as visible in the picture, with the dent continuing underneath Nixon's chin although that part isn't readily visible in the picture. There are over four ounces of silver in this medal, even ignoring its numismatic and political significance.
$400
1960 South America trip medal for Dwight Eisenhower
President Eisenhower decided to give medals as mementos to those who accompanied him on official trips. Slightly different designs are known for each of about half a dozen ndifferent trips, plus a generic one that doesn't list any one specific trip. These silver medals were designed by Frank Gasparro and struck aat the US Mint in limited numbers.
$200
1927 Lindbergh medal by Prudhomme
A 68 mm bronze medal by G. Prudhomme, struck at the Paris Mint (marked on edge with the cornucopia mark and BRONZE). AU, with some rub on the center of the reverse of this lens-shaped medal, plus pale crud in some recesses.
$75
OLW Religion token
I don't know what this 22mm medal is, and I'm not having much luck doing research. I'll sell it as an 'unknown' for the price listed, but if someone who doesn't want to buy it has an idea for identification, I'd love to hear. The obverse appears to have the letters OLW in a cartouche on a hexagon, with two facets of the hexagon bearing the date JUNE 1921. The reverse is engraved RELIGION / Ede MARTINII. There are two stamps on the back of the reverse. One of them says "[something I can't read] / NEW YORK", the other says "X GOLD". Weight is about 5.8 g.
$50
ND 90% silver $1 blank planchet type II
In the interest of accuracy, yes, that's a fingerprint on the right-side image. And I agree that those look like rim dings, but I can't get a good luck at them in the holder (and I didn't think that NGC would slab something with rim dings, so who knows). Still a really rare piece.
$1,000
0
Comments
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
the individual posts over a period of time are not the problem...
I'm assuming you TTT'd all of them at the same time which is.
btw, do you have any monitor/merrimac exonumia?
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
peacockcoins
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jonathan