The Society of Medalists was established in 1930 in the United States to encourage the medallic work of superior sculptors, and to make their creations available to the public. The Society of Medalists was the longest running art medal collector's organization in the United States and released 129 regular issues on a twice yearly basis from 1930 to 1995, as well as special issues marking the Society's 20th, 40th, and 50th anniversaries and the United States Bicentennial in 1976. An unreleased 130th issue was struck in 2018. Much of the inspiration for the Society came from the earlier Circle of Friends of the Medallion, which also issued medals on a semi-annual basis from 1908 to 1915. All issues of the Society were struck by the Medallic Art Company, originally located in New York City
Many of the early contributors to the Society of Medalists were prominent American sculptors of the first half of the 20th century. Lee Lawrie was well known for modernistic art-deco works like the Statue of Atlas in New York City and the Sower atop the Nebraska State Capitol, while artists like Lorado Taft represented a more classical ethos. Others concentrated more, although not exclusively, on medallic art, such as John Flanagan (designer of the Washington quarter dollar) and Laura Gardin Fraser. The artists who created the series represented a wide variety of styles and expertise.
The Society of Medalists issues covered a wide variety of themes during its sixty-five years of existence. Because the artists were allowed to select their subject matter, many of the medals are topical. Those of the 1930s frequently serve as commentary on the experiences of the first World War, and anticipate the destruction of the second. Religion often serves as a theme, with interpretations of biblical scenes prevalent throughout all decades. Art, science, and nature also provided inspiration for artists and their medals'.
With two exceptions, all issues of the Society of Medalists were initially manufactured in bronze. Issues 28 and 29, created during World War II, were first produced in silver. During the 1970s the Society undertook a program to restrike its earlier issues in silver. The advent of a spike in silver prices late in the decade, coupled with a low level of demand for the new issues, led to the demise of the silver restrike program by the early 1980s.
The Society of Medalist represents an accessible collecting opportunity. The issues are available on the secondary market, with both specialized dealers and internet auction services serving as sources. Collectors value the medals in their original boxes, complete with the descriptive pamphlets that accompanied them.
History Although the official date of establishment was 1930, there was a public notice for the organization in the January 1929 edition of The Numismatist, the journal of the American Numismatic Association.Alexander, David T. "The Society of Medalists: America's Premier Art Medal Series", The MCA Advisory, volume 8, number 4, April 2005, pages 4-5. The notice also stated that, "The Society of Medalists had its inception at the convention of the American Federation of Arts in Washington last May" (May 1928). The notice further stated, "The organization committee is composed of George D. Pratt, Robert W. DeForest and Alexander B. Trowbridge", however, later documents attributed the founding entirely to Pratt. Additionally, the notice discussed that, "Exceptionally accurate machinery makes it possible to strike medals to the quantity of 1,000 or more for very low cost."
In 2010 the American Numismatic Society published the authoritative reference and history of both the Circle of Friends of the Medallion and the Society of Medalists, American Art Medals, 1909-1995 by well known numismatic scholar David Thomason Alexander. In 2016, the Northwest Territorial Mint, parent company of the Medallic Art Company, declared bankruptcy and its assets were subsequently liquidated. In 2018 the American Numismatic Society acquired Medallic Art's archive of historic medals, including records, dies, and examples of the Society of Medalists.
In 2018, Medalcraft Mint of Green Bay, Wisconsin, which had acquired the Medallic Art Company tradename in the bankruptcy, struck a small number of bronze medals by sculptor Steve Adams on the theme of The Princess and the Frog, edge-marked as the Society's 130th issue, in an attempted revival of the series. The project was cancelled before any public release, with an estimated dozen examples struck.
IssueYearSculptorObverse ReverseREGULAR11930Laura Gardin FraserHunter and dogRuffled grouseISSUES21930Paul ManshipDionysusSatyrs treading grapes31931Hermon A. MacNeilIndian prayer for rainHopi snake dance41931Frederick MacMonniesCharles A. LindberghLone Eagle allegory51932Lee LawrieWhatsoever a man sowethThat shall he also reap61932John FlanaganAphroditeTorch race71933Carl Paul JenneweinGloriaFama81933Gaetano CecerePegasus and menNo easy way to the stars91934Herbert AdamsBoy fishingLittle fish a prize101934Albert LaessleAmerican-turkeyAbundance-corn111935Lorado TaftGreat lakesFive maidens121935Anthony de FrancisciCreationSwirling universe131936R. Tait McKenzieYouth putting the shotFour runners141936Albert StewartPloughman and crossesPeace151937Robert I. AitkenLoversAll mankind loves a lover161937Chester BeachIn peace fathers dieIn war sons die171938A. Stirling CalderDance of lifeWith pleasure and pain181938Gertrude K. LathropConserve wildlifeAntelope191939Edward McCartanPeace in the new worldWar in the old world201939John GregoryCere's blessingScarcity shall shun you211940Edmond AmateisAesop's fable of hawkDog and reflection221940Walker HancockTwo men buildingOvercoming adversity231941Joseph E. RenierWoman and childPrometheus241941Edwin SpringweilerArctic-polar bearAntarctic-penguins251942Janet de CouxThou sluggardGo to the ant261942Brenda PutnamMan with airplaneBird in flight271943Anna Hyatt HuntingtonAfrican elephantWater hole281943Carl L. SchmitzFreedom of speech and religionFreedom from want and fear291944Richard Henry RecchiaInspirationAspiration301944Mahonri YoungRiggersRiveters311945Rene P. ChambellanFlag raising on Iwo JimaFor conquer we must321945Berthold NebelWounded soldierAtomic bomb explosion331946Joseph KiselewskiWorld peaceDove and olive branch341946Sidney WaughPrivacy makes innocentNameless worthy351947Bruce MooreEternal vigilanceDestruction361947Henry KreisWise virginsFoolish virgins371948Michael LantzJohn the BaptistSalome381948Thomas Lo MedicoPursuit of happinessGood will toward men391949Adolph A. WeinmanGenesisWeb of destiny401949Leo FriedlanderHarmonyCreates tranquility411950Donal HordMan must sowTo reap421950 Cecil HowardPeace is lifeWar is death431951Albert A. WeinGod the creatorCreating heaven and Earth441951Wheeler WilliamsMadonna and childLamb451952James Earl FraserPony ExpressNew Frontiers461952Karl GruppeEagleBoy Scouts471953Gifford MacGregor ProctorFishDry fly lure481953Peter DaltonBrotherhoodSwords into ploughshares491954Abram BelskieArt goddessSculptor's tools501954Ivan MeštrovićSocratesPlato511955Malvina HoffmanRaces of manNo man is an island521955Georg J. LoberHans Christian Andersen150th Anniversary531956John AngelAdam and EveAnnunciation of Virgin541956Paul FjeldeWalt WhitmanLeaves of Grass551957Pietro MontanaSt. Francis of Assisi at prayerSt. Francis and leper561957Donald De LueCreator of universeCreator of man571958Charles RudyYear's at the springDay's at the morn581958Jean de MarcoClown with hornMusic and drama591959Allan HouserApache fire dancerBuffalo hunt601959Katherine WeemsPumaWild fowl611960Leo LentelliRomulus and RemusConstantine the Great621960Adlai S. HardinThree wisemenNativity631961Adolph BlockPilgrims landingHoly cause of liberty641961Nathaniel ChoateGoliathDavid651962Oronzio MaldarelliDancersBathers661962Carl C. MoseThis our heritageThis our land671963Karen WorthTo the starsSpirit of the space age681963Joseph ColettiGlory of GodGreat frigate bird691964Robert A. WeinmanHonor to SocratesLight of knowledge701964Frank EliscuUnderwater swimmerSeascape711965Margaret Christian GrigorAlaskaHawaii721965Elizabeth WeistropSower of the forestSquirrels731966Robert LohmanNatureCreativity741966Ralph J. MenconiThomas JeffersonLiberty751967Herring CoeFlying sauserHippocampus and mermaid761967Donald R. MillerFive forms of lifeWilderness is preservation771968Nina WinkelGirls dancingBoys building781968Terry LiesMedical researchSpider and web791969Bruno MankowskiPaul BunyanJohnny Appleseed801969Boris BuzanSpace control roomAstronaut on Moon811970Julian Hoke HarrisUncle Remus talesBrer Rabbit in briar patch821970Tom Allen, Jr.Flame of lifePro vita831971Hal ReedFour scientistsUnleashing the atom841971Elbert WeinbergPandora oneAtomic cloud851972Sten JacobssonChrist and multitudePagan joys861972John Edward SvensonChilkat ChieftainIndian carvings871973Mico KaufmanYouth with guitarSoldier carrying wounded881973Edward R. GroveAlphabets of the worldEnglish alphabet891974Laszlo IspankyGirl in springYouth in fall901974Stanley BleifeldChinese philosophersChinese landscape911975Frederick ShradyCourage and hopeBird in flight921975Bruno LucchesiCouple embracingMother and baby931976Harvey WeissGrasshopperWhale941976Anthony NotaroPilgrimsMayflower951977Harry MarinskyYouth dreamingCastle in Spain961977Stephen RobinTutankhamunEgyptian pectoral971978Robert CookMusicDance981978Moissaye MaransDawnDusk991979Donald A. BorjaHelios the Sun GodSolar energy1001979Linda HarperLaughterTears1011980Marcel JovineUnicornMedieval procession1021980Edward Fenno Hoffman IIIAlice in WonderlandWinnie the Pooh1031981Laci de GerendayCougarDeer in woods1041981Elisabeth Gordon ChandlerVisual artsPerforming arts1051982John CookFaun with pipesMan with mask1061982Don Everhart IIDance of the dolphinsDolphins leaping1071983Joseph Di LorenzoExcaliburCamalot1081983Carter JonesGeorge BalanchineDancers1091984Dexter JonesClownHarlequin and Columbine1101984Margaret C. EllisonBands of living creaturesZodiac1111985Donald De LueMan bursting the boundsBack of man1121985Richard McDermott MillerGirl escaping manMan capturing girl1131986Marika SomogyiWoman looking in mirrorDevel watching thru mirror1141986Alex ShaginChildren circling globeEarth from space1151987Robert A. WeinmanCat and mouseCat behind cheese1161987Robert CronbachSunriseMoonrise1171988Leonda FinkeThe Prodigal Son - departureEmotional Reunion1181988Patrica Lewis-VeraniSnow - Eskimo and dog sledSand - Arab on Camel1191989Nicola d'Alton MossCharles DarwinGiant Galapagos turtle1201989Keiichi UryuMan is StrengthWoman is Love and Beauty1211990Eugene DaubSpirit of fireDepiction of ice1221990Marcel JovineMichelangelo's CreationBiblical prophesy1231991Michael MeszarosWinding StaircaseStaircase Looking Down1241992Joseph SheppardIcarus flight toward the SunIcarus in free fall1251993Don Everhart IIITyrannosaurus RexTyrannosaurus Rex fossil1261993Karen WorthAdam and EveRetribution1271994Amuhullah HaiderzadThe Old Kabul Bazaar1281994Don Everhart IISet of six dinosaur medalsDinosaur fossils1291995Geri GouldLast SupperNativity to ResurrectionUNRELEASED1302018Steve AdamsPrincess and a frog at a pondPrince and princess approaching a castleSPECIALSP11950John FlanaganMark Twain CentenaryISSUESSP21970Julian Hoke Harris40th Anniversary motifAthenian OwlSP31976Marcel JovineYankee DoodleTricorner HatSP41980Chester MartinSnail and GalaxyFive DecadesSP51980Edward R. GroveNature Montage50th Anniversary Sculptors
References
External links Websites medallicartcollector.com: "Society of Medalists" Medal Collectors of America: Society of Medalists Collector's Guide
Web Articles Professional Coin Grading Service: Enduring Society of Medalists First Issue Continues to Attract Collectors by Fred Reed - September 9, 1999