wabnoles Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Hey everyone Well I went into the coin shop the other day and found a series of medals and medallions ranging from $5 to $10 each and I have been able to find what I needed on all but one. They are all modern medals. One turned out to be a US Mint restrike of the famous John Paul Jones medal struck by the famous French engraver Augustin Dupre. The other was a commemorative medal made by the Medallic Art Company in commemoration of the reconilitation between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. It was from 1975 and was designed by Elizabeth Jones, who would later go on to be the first female chief engraver of the US Mint. There is a number assigned to this medal and only 2,500 were made so its clearly a commissioned piece (Jones was a self employed artist living in Rome at this time). The third item has me stumped however. It is not in the greatest condition but still retains enoguh to impress in my nonexpert opinion. What immediately struck me was the size of this coin... it weighs about 10 oz, or a little over ten times the size of a silver dollar. This is also a Medallic Art Company piece that is unsigned On the reverse it says Pfizer Medical Research Laboratories over the top and "Dedicated to scientific research in the service of medicine and mankind October 6, 1960". In the center is likely an aerial of the labs. On the obverse is a male figure holding the symbols of the medical profession in his hands. This is such a heavy item I cannot imagine that this would be something just given out to the general public. I have read somewhere that this is a medical award of some kind. What I would really like to know about this is 1) what it is 2) who the artist was that made this and 3) how many (or little) of these were made. According to a very general history written on Pfizer, they moved to their new research labs in Groton, CT in 1960 so perhaps this medallion has a connection to this new facility. Is there a catalogue out there of the historic Medallic Art Company medals? http://omnicoin.com/coin/1028668 http://omnicoin.com/coin/1028669 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art1.2 Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Nice medals. I assume the Pfizer was an executive type give-away on the dedication of the new facility. It would be interesting to research such an item. Do they have a company Historian? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Probably issued to managers & executives in the new facility as a paperweight, paper was still king in the 1960's. Might also have been given to drugstore executives, as advertising. "The Prudential has the strength of Gibraltar." "Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America 1875 1925" in exergue, at lower left: "CPetersen Sc." Inscription: edge, lower center: "WHITEHEAD -- HOAG" The medallion is 3" in diameter and weighs 4.8 oz This is normally described as a paperweight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art1.2 Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Probably issued to managers & executives in the new facility as a paperweight, paper was still king in the 1960's. Might also have been given to drugstore executives, as advertising. "The Prudential has the strength of Gibraltar." "Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America 1875 1925" in exergue, at lower left: "CPetersen Sc." Inscription: edge, lower center: "WHITEHEAD -- HOAG" The medallion is 3" in diameter and weighs 4.8 oz This is normally described as a paperweight. That's a beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 http://numismatics.org/collection/2002.10.49 The link gives the designer as Philips & includes it in the description, so if you look closely at the medal it should be visible "Obverse: Science for the | world's well-being | CHAS. PFIZER and CO., INC. | PHILIPS, SC - man w. symbols of medicine" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wabnoles Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Thanks for the help fellas... I have a correction to make on the papl medal. It is actually a Jubilee medal celebrating the 1975 Jubilee called forth by Paul VI. The other figure is actually Pope Boniface VIII who called the first papl Catholic Jubilee in 1300. I also violated a long standing personal rule and went ahead and cleaned the Pfizer medal as carefully as I could and the details definitely pop out better, incl. the artist's name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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