Let's see your exonumia!

Colorado- Rush To The Rockies Centennial
1959 So-Called Dollar





Official Medal below authorized by 86th Congress; struck at Philadelphia Mint.
Obverse is Official Centennial Emblem designed by Arthur Roy Mitchell, Trinidad, Colorado; modeled by Frank Gasparro. Issue limited to 10,000 pieces; sold out for $3.50 "before end of August 1959."
Congressional designation as a "national medal" permitted striking of additional number "upon approval of issuing Commission" but Governor Steve McNichols personally advised on April 11, 1960, that no more medals would be struck.

Obverse: COLORADO RUSH TO THE ROCKIES CENTENNIAL / 1859 / 1959
Reverse: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AIR FORCE ACADEMY / MCMLIX
Measures: 33mm. 14.6g. Silver.
HK-542

Came to me in the original envelope.

 

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Western Artists and Sculptors on medals

1972 George Catlin - Yellowstone
Medallic Art Co



George Catlin was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
As a child growing up in Pennsylvania, Catlin had spent many hours hunting, fishing, and looking for American Indian artifacts. His fascination with Native Americans was kindled by his mother, who told him stories of the western frontier and how she was captured by a tribe when she was a young girl. Years later, a group of Native Americans came through Philadelphia dressed in their colorful outfits and made quite an impression on Catlin.
Following a brief career as an attorney, Catlin produced two major collections of paintings of American Indians and published a series of books chronicling his travels among the native peoples of North, Central, and South America.

Catlin appears to have written an eccentric book, which was in an eighth edition by 1882, entitled Shut Your Mouth. This is a serious essay suggesting that all manner of ills arise in people who were slack jawed, people who do not routinely keep their mouths closed.
In it, the author claims that even too much talking is harmful because of the mouth being open for the purpose. "There is no person in society but who will find... improvement in health and enjoyment..." from keeping his or her mouth shut.

George Catlin painting titled
"Buffalo Bull"



George Catlin painting titled
"Buffalo Hunt"




1971 Charles M Russell
Billings Montana Medal




This is a medal of a great western artist, Charles M. Russell who fits well in my "Old West" album.

Charles Marion Russell
Born March 19, 1864 St. Louis, Missouri
Died October 24, 1926 Great Falls, Montana



also known as C. M. Russell, Charlie Russell, and "Kid" Russell, was an artist of the Old American West. Russell created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Indians, and landscapes set in the Western United States and in Alberta, Canada, in addition to bronze sculptures. Known as 'the cowboy artist',
Russell was also a storyteller and author. The C. M. Russell Museum Complex located in Great Falls, Montana, houses more than 2,000 Russell artworks, personal objects, and artifacts. Other major collections are held at the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Sid Richardson Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Russell's mural titled Lewis and Clark Meeting the Flathead Indians hangs in the state capitol building in Helena, Montana. Russell's 1918 painting Piegans sold for $5.6 million at a 2005 auction.



The Bronco shown on the reverse of this medal resembles a painting titled
"The Bucker" painted in 1904.
Or it could be from the sculpture
"Bronco Twister"
He did numerous works similar to this, most times the hat is flying through the air.




1971 MACO Coming Through The Rye





1971 Medallic Art Co (MACO) gilt bronze medal
Coming Through The Rye

Frederic Remington (1861-1909) depicted the life of the cowboy during the 1880s and 1890’s better, perhaps, than any other artist of his time. He thought of himself as a true citizen of the American West.
This medal depicts a 1902 scuplture titled "Coming Through The Rye" by Frederic Remington, famous for his American western art themes in paintings and sculptures.

Harold McCracken writes, "Coming Through the Rye represents four cowboys mounted on broncos dashing at full gallop, waving their six-shooters over their heads with quirts flying from their wrists. They have the spark of abandon and deviltry in their hollow eyes; and their mouths are open as though in the act of shrieking out some wild Western apostrophe to the red gods of recklessness. The broncos, snorting and straining forward, are shoulder to shoulder, and their flying hooves emphasize the devil-may-care of such a mad ride."



Shannon J. Hatfield wrote:

This 1902 bronze was described by the artist as “four cowboys on running horses…men shooting pistols and shouting.” In selecting the subject of his eighth bronze, Remington revisited an image he had twice earlier depicted in an illustration published in Century Magazine and several others around that time. The illustration vividly depicted recklessly spirited cowhands coming into town for a weekend of revel rousing and fun.
This was a fine example of a three dimensional study of western sculpture. Remington’s technical virtuoso was truly demonstrated in this piece more than any to date, with only six of the sixteen hooves touching the ground.
This sculpture has remained one of the most popular and sought after pieces to date, both in the eyes of the public and private collectors alike.

 

In todays mail

 

@Chris B

Interesting medal. On close inspection I see they put a lightning flash coming out of the cloud (and a couple of seabirds). Nice attention to detail.

 

Got another version of the Pedley Ryan round