Society of Medalists, #11.

keets

I acquired a new medal over the weekend, pictures below.

It was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company in 1935 for the Society of Medalists Series, #11. The sculptor who rendered the models is Lorado Taft and the theme is tied to the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-37 held in Cleveland, Ohio. The initial issue was a little over 1,000 pcs. struck in bronze with some silver restrikes issued around 1970-80. The relief is moderately high, flatter on the obverse than the reverse, size is about 75mm. It is really quite striking.

The five maidens represent the five Great Lakes, each holding a shell filled with water. Huron, standing at the center, receives water from Superior and Michigan. She in turn pours into Erie and then into Ontario. The maiden on the other side represents Ontario with the inscription reading "Ontario sends greeting to the Sea" with two dolphins below. Not a particularly scarce medal, it should be available to anyone looking but this is the first I've actually owned or been offered. It was heavily oxidized from poor storage so I treated it with Blue Ribbon, now I just need to find a suitable long-term storage medium. At that it is probably low Mint State with no contacts and only modest discoloration.

Enjoy and post images of any you might own, there were quite a few interesting topics and designs covered in the series.

Al H.

Zoins

Nice medal keets. Love the symbolism on that piece.

Here's some information on the Society of Medalists and Lorado Taft.

Society of Medalists (1935-1995)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorado_Taft

Lorado Taft (1860-1936)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Medalists

291fifth

Lorado Taft also had a medal design rejected by the Society of Medalists in the 1930s. It had an anti-war theme. It never got beyond the plaster model stage.

amwldcoin

That's a Beautiful Woman on the Obv. It's a shame she didn't strike up!

@keets said:
I acquired a new medal over the weekend, pictures below.

It was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company in 1935 for the Society of Medalists Series, #11. The sculptor who rendered the models is Lorado Taft and the theme is tied to the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-37 held in Cleveland, Ohio. The initial issue was a little over 1,000 pcs. struck in bronze with some silver restrikes issued around 1970-80. The relief is moderately high, flatter on the obverse than the reverse, size is about 75mm. It is really quite striking.

The five maidens represent the five Great Lakes, each holding a shell filled with water. Huron, standing at the center, receives water from Superior and Michigan. She in turn pours into Erie and then into Ontario. The maiden on the other side represents Ontario with the inscription reading "Ontario sends greeting to the Sea" with two dolphins below. Not a particularly scarce medal, it should be available to anyone looking but this is the first I've actually owned or been offered. It was heavily oxidized from poor storage so I treated it with Blue Ribbon, now I just need to find a suitable long-term storage medium. At that it is probably low Mint State with no contacts and only modest discoloration.

Enjoy and post images of any you might own, there were quite a few interesting topics and designs covered in the series.

Al H.

ms70

That's an attractive medal. I like the use of maidens as representation for the lakes.

I just wish today's coin designers had such inspiration and imagination.

BillDugan1959

LaradoTaft (1860-1936) was the son of a professor at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Sculptor Taft had a varied and prolific career and long maintained his ties to the U of I.

He was famous for several bronze statues, including "Alma Mater (Labor and Learning)" (1929), which is one of the most famous symbols of the U of I.

Forty years ago, I lived in 'Taft Hall" for one year. It was (and is) directly across the street from the School of Art and The Krannert Art Museum. There is a Taft Street on campus too.

Laredo Taft was famous for working right up to the week of his death, and seems to have been very busy in his final year. This medal possibly was not his focus, because he had a major commission related to The Lincoln-Douglas Debates and Quincy, Illinois. Taft attended the dedication the week before he died in the fall of 1936.

ricko

Beautiful medal Al.... I could not see the dolphins you mentioned though....Sure wish we had art like that on our coins... Cheers, RickO

grip

The dolphins are below her chin (2 I think)..And she is gorgeous.

ECHOES

@keets said:
I acquired a new medal over the weekend, pictures below.

It was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company in 1935 for the Society of Medalists Series, #11. The sculptor who rendered the models is Lorado Taft and the theme is tied to the Great Lakes Exposition of 1936-37 held in Cleveland, Ohio. The initial issue was a little over 1,000 pcs. struck in bronze with some silver restrikes issued around 1970-80. The relief is moderately high, flatter on the obverse than the reverse, size is about 75mm. It is really quite striking.

The five maidens represent the five Great Lakes, each holding a shell filled with water. Huron, standing at the center, receives water from Superior and Michigan. She in turn pours into Erie and then into Ontario. The maiden on the other side represents Ontario with the inscription reading "Ontario sends greeting to the Sea" with two dolphins below. Not a particularly scarce medal, it should be available to anyone looking but this is the first I've actually owned or been offered. It was heavily oxidized from poor storage so I treated it with Blue Ribbon, now I just need to find a suitable long-term storage medium. At that it is probably low Mint State with no contacts and only modest discoloration.

Enjoy and post images of any you might own, there were quite a few interesting topics and designs covered in the series.

Al H.

Beautiful medal.
Need a reference book for Medallic Art Co, any suggestions?

keets

MACO moved a few times, once to the upper Midwest and then to their present location. during one of their moves, I believe it was around 1976, they destroyed all of their archived records. what that means is that unless a MACO issue has information recorded somewhere else, anything prior to that purge is gone. they were a prolific issuer going back more than 100 years and research for me on some of their issues is difficult.

kaz

Beautiful medal, Keets. I think your conservation has helped.

CaptHenway

The definitive work on the Society Of Medalists:

http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n43a05.html

By my friend David T. Alexander

Outhaul

Beautiful medal. As someone who has recently discovered the beauty of exonumia, I have finally decided what direction to turn.

Cheers

Bob