Let's see your exonumia!

1962 THOMAS JEFFERSON
HALL OF FAME FOR GREAT AMERICANS
Bronze Medal





1962 New York University Thomas Jefferson Medal - Medallic Art Co.
Obverse: Portrait, center; THOMAS JEFFERSON / 1743 . 1826 / Sidney Waugh
Reverse: THE HALL OF FAME FOR GREAT AMERICANS AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Edge: MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE
Measures: 44 mm

 

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1954 Uncle Sam Memorial-Birthplace
Medallic Art Co Bronze Medal

While this silver dollar size, bronze medal is about Samuel Wilson and shows a memorial statue in Arlington Massachuscetts I am certainly more excited to have a vintage medal with a good portrait of Uncle Sam here.





The earliest known personification of the United States was as a woman named Columbia, who first appeared in 1738 (pre-USA) and sometimes was associated with another female personification, Lady Liberty.
With the American Revolutionary War came Brother Jonathan, a male personification, and Uncle Sam finally appeared after the War of 1812.



Columbia appeared with either Brother Jonathan or Uncle Sam, but her use declined as a national personification in favor of Liberty, and she was effectively abandoned once she became the mascot of Columbia Pictures in the 1920s.



The precise origin of the Uncle Sam character is unclear, but a popular legend is that the name "Uncle Sam" was derived from Samuel Wilson, a meatpacker from Troy, New York who supplied rations for American soldiers during the War of 1812.
There was a requirement at the time for contractors to stamp their name and where the rations came from onto the food they were sending.
Wilson's packages were labeled "E.A – US."
When someone asked what that stood for, a co-worker jokingly said, "Elbert Anderson and Uncle Sam," referring to Wilson, though the "US" actually stood for United States. Doubts have been raised as to the authenticity of this story, as the claim did not appear in print until 1842.
Here is a Song Book I own in pretty good shape printed in 1897.
I see that among the songs is The Star Spangled Banner with three verses!



Uncle Sam did not get a standard appearance, even with the effective abandonment of Brother Jonathan near the end of the American Civil War, until the well-known "recruitment" image of Uncle Sam was first created by James Montgomery Flagg during World War I.
The image was inspired by a British recruitment poster showing Lord Kitchener in a similar pose. It is this image more than any other that has influenced the modern appearance of Uncle Sam: an elderly white man with white hair and a goatee, wearing a white top hat with white stars on a blue band, a blue tail coat, and red-and-white-striped trousers.

 

Australia - Peace of 1919 Medalet

Size 27.5 mm. Silvered bronze

Designed by C Douglas Richardson, 'The Peace of 1919' medalet was issued by the Defence Department to school children throughout Australia to commemorate the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty in 1919. The medals were originally suspended from a narrow piece of red, white and blue striped cotton ribbon.

Obverse
Figure of Victory.
Lettering: PEACE 1919 AUSTRALIA

Reverse
Soldier and sailor with a crown and a laurel wreath.

Lettering: VICTORY THE TRIUMPH OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE
THE PEACE OF 1919

 

another
Australia - Peace of 1919 Medalet



BasSWarwick (above)
sent me this one all the way from Australia as a gift a few years ago just because he had two.
Thanks again! Still love it.

I can add
Time constraints as well as pressure from the production of other victory medals meant that no single manufacturer could make the 1,670,000 medals. Six were therefore selected: Amor, Stokes, Schlank, Parkes, Angus & Coote (who later withdrew) and Platers.

This one is and the one above are from AMOR LTD.

Neat images of Australian WWI military



No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps next to their Bristol fighters, at Mejdel in February 1918.



Soldiers of 11th Battalion, AIF, posing on the Great Pyramid of Giza on 10 January 1915, before the landing at Gallipoli.

 

1897 TENNESSEE CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION
SO-CALLED DOLLAR HK-274





The City of Nashville first undertook the construction of a full-scale replica of the
Parthenon for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897. It still stands today as an art museum.
The exposition celebrated 100 years of Tennessee's statehood a year after its true centennial birthday of 1896. Centennial organizers blamed lack of funds, slow construction and the presidential election of 1896 for the delayed start date.
Once started, the Tennessee Centennial was a huge success with approximately 1.8 million people in attendance over the six-month period.
These medals are tough to acquire and tickets to the exposition are expensive and rare.
Perhaps because the exposition was less popular than those we are more familiar with.
Honestly, I never even heard of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition until I became well into collecting medals and tickets.



This example of mine has a small rim clip error at 4 o'clock on one side and 8 o'clock on the other. It is not post mint damage or tooling of the medal.



The Parthenon in Centennial Park, in Nashville, Tennessee, is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.

 

1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
So-Called Dollar HK-283
(I have two of these, this is the nicest of the two)





My duplicate



1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition medal. It is referenced as the "Official Medal" and is listed as HK-283 in the Hibler-Kappen Catalog of So-Called Dollars, 2nd Edition. It was struck in Brass, has a diameter of 34mm, and a Rarity of R-4.

The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently. Over 2.6 million people came to Omaha to view the 4,062 exhibits during the five months of the Exposition.
During the Expo, on August 31, 1898, the committee declared "Cody Day" in honor of Buffalo Bill Cody. Cody brought his "world-famous" Wild West Show back to the Omaha Driving Park where it was formally founded several years earlier.
October 12 was "President's Day" at the Expo and featured a speech by President William McKinley focused on international affairs and the necessity of not being isolationist.

The total attendance was 2,613,508, and the total receipts were $1,924,077.
The following year after the Expo some members of its managing committee decided to host another Expo-type event, which became the Great American Exposition in summer 1899.

At one time, I had a large collection and hoard of old US postage stamps. I regret selling them all. I wish I knew that in the future, I would be collecting medals that would have been complimented with at least a single stamp like this. I know I had many of these.



1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition
Lagoon Medal
23mm
brass






The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to November 1 of 1898. Its goal was to showcase the development of the entire West, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. The Indian Congress was held concurrently. Over 2.6 million people came to Omaha to view the 4,062 exhibits during the five months of the Exposition. President William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan were among the dignitaries who attended.

During the Expo, on August 31, 1898, the committee declared "Cody Day" in honor of Buffalo Bill Cody. Cody brought his "world-famous" Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show back to the Omaha Driving Park where it was formally founded several years earlier.



A 2,000 foot long lagoon was encircled by 21 classical buildings in "The Grand Court" which featured fine and modern products from around the world.



I picked this bezel up without the medal and ribbon quite a while after getting the medal that shows nearby in this album. Who would have thought that could happen? I have not inserted my medal in the bezel though.

 

I was thinking about you when I posted it today.
Glad to know it has gone to a good friend and is appreciated.

 

@TheNickelGuy ,

No big write-up from me, but you're my doppelganger . . . .

Z

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Had to look that up! doppelganger, It looks like I'm in a gang of doppelgangers here.
Great posts in this thread.

It was almost next in line when you posted. Thanks again, it is in a good home.

 

You know, there was a time when I wouldn't take a looped medal if you gave it to me. A long time ago but it's true. Now I like them almost every bit as a normal medal.

1920 Theodore Roosevelt
Memorial Association Founders Medal





Medallic Art Co.
Although dated 1920, this looped medal might be a 1931 Roosevelt Memorial Association Founders Medal - Medallic Art Co 1931-020, a smaller and very similar version of the 1923 Roosevelt (Theodore) Association Medal of Honor - Medallic Art Co 1923-002 which was 3 and 1/4 inches and gold.

I have also found information that this one I have was used in 1925. I will go with Fraser's date of 1920 for inventory puroses.

Theodore Roosevelt
Date: 1920
Bronze
Diameter: 1 5/16 in. ( 3.4 cm )
J.E. FRASER 1920

Obverse showing clothed bust of Theodore Roosevelt facing right with dates at lower right of field: "MDCCCLVIII/MCMXIX"

Reverse depicts flaming sword at center with surrounding legend
ROOSEVELT MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION/FOUNDERS MEDAL
"IF I MVST CHOOSE BETWEEN RIGHTEOVSNESS AND PEACE I CHOOSE RIGHTEOVSNESS."

This medal was one of a number of award medals created for the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association. It was used as an award for an essay contest in New York City Schools.
The image of Roosevelt on the obverse of this example is based on a portrait bust modeled by Fraser 1909-1910.

 

1930 Ville Du Havre Bronze Medal by Poisson





This large medal is signed PM Poisson on the reverse.
Pierre-Marie Poisson was born in Niort France on November 19th 1876 and died in Paris on January 11th 1953. He was a French sculptor and medallist.
Poisson was chosen to create the sculpture at The Le Havre War Memorial known as Monument de la Victoire.
The composition has various figures grouped around a central female allegory for "Victory". The figures on the northern side represent martial virtues with neo-classical warriors and a wounded soldier whilst the southern group cover the civilian virtues with a depiction of a fisherman, a woman holding grapes signifying agricultural abundance and a mother who holds up her child, a symbol of motherhood.



On the reverse is the Coat of arms of Le Havre, a castle that also resembles a crown within a half shell.

I have found this medal dated by engraving as early as 1942 but have seen it identified as a 1930 medal.



I don't know if there is any connection, but there was a French ship named SS Ville Du Havre that met disaster, sinking in 12 minutes after colliding with an English ship named Loch Earn in 1873.
Shortly after the collision, Ville du Havre's main and mizzen masts collapsed, smashing two of the liner's life boats and killing several people. The time for saving life was very short, and as it sank it broke into two pieces as she went down.
Captain Robertson of Loch Earn did all he possibly could to rescue the drowning and eventually 61 passengers and 26 of the crew were rescued and taken on board that ship.
However, 226 passengers and crew perished.
Loch Earn, herself in danger of sinking, was subsequently rescued by an American cargo ship, The Tremountain, and all Ville du Havre passengers and crew were transferred to that ship. Loch Earn, with its bow smashed in, commenced to sink as the bulkheads gave way, so she was abandoned at sea by her crew and sank shortly afterwards.

 

I was there.
https://campsvc.com/about/our-history/bicentennial-wagon-train/

 

Sans descriptions . . . .

More doppelganger stuff for @TheNickelGuy

Z

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Perhaps @TheNickelGuy could offer a narrative of this one.

If sucessful, I have a more difficult task ahead . . . .

Z

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1976 Bicentennial Wagon Trail Pilgrimage
Pennsylvania Bronze Medal





The Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage began a journey from Blaine, Washington on June 8, 1975 concluding at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1976.

The wagon train pilgrimage traced the original covered wagon trade and transportation routes across the United States encompassing the Bozeman Trail, California Trail, Gila Trail, Great Wagon Road, Mormon Trail, Natchez Trace Trail, Old Post Road, Old Spanish Trail, Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and Wilderness Road.

I remember the Bicentennial quite well as I was fresh out of the navy in June. The town was painted red white and blue, right down to the fire hydrants! Hard to believe our 250th Anniversary is just a few years off already. We sure had patriotism in 76.
I hope it is renewed even stronger in 2026.

They came through Chambersburg Pennsylvania
I think I see you there dwhiz in front of the J.J. Newberry store!

 

Naaawp, can't help with that one except I found one on numista.

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia289796.html