Pilgrim Tercentenary medal 0

[RWB]

Does anyone happen to have a good photo of a 1920 Pilgrim Tercentenary medal by Cyrus Dallin?

 

Thanks!

[RWB]

Hmmm...this is proving to be a tough one...The 1920 Dallin medal looks a lot like the Pilgrim Tercentenary coin but very cheaply made.

[jgrinz]

I am not sure if you are going to find one ...

 

"

Boston sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin was selected by the Tercentenary Commission to prepare models showing a portrait of Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford and the Pilgrim's ship, the Mayflower, on which they made their historic journey in 1620. Dallin ran afoul of the Commission of Fine Arts' sculptor member, James Earle Fraser of Buffalo nickel fame, who found fault with his execution of the inscriptions: "Altogether the design for the Pilgrim fifty cent coin is good. The part that seems to me to need most attention if there is time is the lettering." Of course, there wasn't time to correct this, and the Fine Arts Commission's decision to not render a verdict on Dallin's models prompted the Treasury Department to simply disregard their comments and proceed with the preparation of dies. In October of 1920 a total of 200,112 Pilgrim halves were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the odd 112 pieces being reserved for assay and later destroyed. The coins were first offered for sale at $1 apiece in November. Distribution was handled by the Shawmut National Bank of Boston and the coins were available at every bank in Boston and Plymouth. Although there was no official packaging, two types of boxes were privately produced. One was gold with a green coin sleeve inside, and was imprinted with PEOPLE'S SAVINGS BANK, WORCHESTER, MASS. The other, a white box with a circular coin slot, was imprinted with SOCIETY OF COLONIAL WARS, IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS. Both of these are quite valuable today.

 

The obverse of the Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar portrays a left-facing, half-length figure of William Bradford, the second governor of the Plymouth Colony. He assumed this role in 1621 and was re-elected thirty times! The image is fanciful, as no actual portrait of him exists. He holds in his left arm what is most likely the Bible, but what has also been identified as his own book History of Plimmoth Plantation. Behind his portrait is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, while the legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and PILGRIM HALF DOLLAR are arranged peripherally, separated by stars. Dallin's incuse initial D appears below Bradford's elbow. The reverse is dominated by a three-quarters view of the Mayflower sailing on rough seas. Its rigging is erroneous, the forward jib sail being of a type not utilized as early as 1620. The inscription PILGRIM TERCENTENARY CELEBRATION is arranged peripherally. Separated from it by stars are the dual dates 1620 - 1920

"

Tells of some of the differences ..

Still looking for you

[jgrinz]

Intersting reading but NO Pictures

 

The E-Sylum: Volume 5, Number 17, April 21, 2002, Article 4

 

1921 PLYMOUTH TERCENTENARY MEDALS

 

Coincidentally, John Merz, in reference to Johnson?s

upcoming book on coin and medal artists, writes: "I have a

1921 Pilgrim half dollar with designer?s initial ?D? for Cyrus

Dallin. I also have an ?Official Souvenir Medal? dated 1921

from the Plymouth (Mass.) Tercentenary Committee,

commemorating the three hundredth anniversary of the landing

of the Pilgrims. The medal has no designer?s initial (that I can

see). Could it have also been the work of Dallin?"

 

's reply: "To answer your specific inquiry: Cyrus Edwin

Dallin (1861-1944) DID do a 1921 Plymouth Tercentenary

Medal. But so did three other known artists (and perhaps a

couple unknown artists). And this is the reason for specialized

collections and numismatists who collect, organize, describe

and published specialized numismatic topics. Bless their

hearts!

 

Malcolm Storer -- the medical doctor whose father was

Horatio Storer who gathered and published the monumental

work on medical medals -- gathered, organized, described

and published the work on Massachusetts numismatic items.

His "Numismatics of Massachusetts" was published by the

Massachusetts Historical Society, 1923. [i suspect his

collection was started by his father, he inherited it, added to

it and published HIS book.]

 

Malcolm lists these medals for the 1920 Pilgrim Tercentennial:

Storer 1558 by G.L. Turner (struck by Reed & Barton).

Storer 1559 by the Dutch medalist Jan Pesynshof.

Storer 1560 by Cyrus E. Dallin (signed Dallin).

Storer 1561 by Julio Kilenyi (unsigned but struck and signed

by Whitehead & Hoag).

Storer 1562 and 1563. Unsigned (and probably created by

some unknown factory artists, perhaps at Blackinton or

Robbins, nearby New England medalmakers).

(Unfortunately Storer did not illustrate any of these medals.)

 

Fifty years later, a Massachusetts numismatist, Robert Heath,

began collecting, organizing, describing, and published his

"Commemorative Medals of New England Cities & Towns,"

beginning in 1977. His seventh Massachusetts edition (1995)

lists five of these medals (omitting the Dutch medal); and adds

one more. (His numbers: MA239-5 thru MA239-10).

 

Heath did not illustrate the Dallin medal, However, this medal

is illustrated in the book by Rell G. Francis "Cyrus E. Dallin;

Let Justice Be Done" as Figure 246, page 241.

 

I cannot identify which medal is yours from the description you

gave. Probably not Dallin since he did sign his medal. Perhaps

a search of Heath would identify your medal quickly.

 

Related problem: Dallin did sign his models with his last name

(he was a sculptor, not an engraver). An earlier artist on an

1883 Brooklyn Bridge Medal signed C.E.D. (same initials as

Cyrus). He was an engraver, not a sculptor. All the work of

this artist (we still do not know his identity) were struck by

J.A. Diehl of Philadelphia. [i suspect, but cannot prove,

that C.E.D. was related to Diehl.] Research continues."

 

 

[jesbroken]

I hope this helps. If not the correct medal-sorry. Jim

 

[Just Bob]

That is the Turner medal - Storer 1558. Note the signatures to the right of the boat on the obverse(?) and in the wave to the right of "in" on the reverse.

 

Really nice medal, though. (thumbs u

Edited February 9, 2008 by Just Bob

[jgrinz]

Nope thats a "TURNER"

[jgrinz]

Someone needs to go to the library

 

Heath did not illustrate the Dallin medal, However, this medal

is illustrated in the book by Rell G. Francis "Cyrus E. Dallin;

Let Justice Be Done" as Figure 246, page 241

 

 

[Just Bob]

Someone needs to go to the library

 

Heath did not illustrate the Dallin medal, However, this medal

is illustrated in the book by Rell G. Francis "Cyrus E. Dallin;

Let Justice Be Done" as Figure 246, page 241

 

 

Let us know what you find when you get back, Mike.

[jgrinz]

Actually My Wife Works at one ...

 

Pisses me off Cause Dallins Museum is in Arlington MA but it mostly

sports his sculptures. Guy was great ..

 

[Just Bob]

Wow! I like that one!

[jgrinz]

Wow! I like that one!

 

Here is the Museum Web site in Arlington,MA

 

Museum

[Just Bob]

Cool!

[leeg]

Actually My Wife Works at one ...

 

Pisses me off Cause Dallins Museum is in Arlington MA but it mostly

sports his sculptures. Guy was great ..

 

 

I believe the coin you seek is in the museums collection. They list a phone number but no email address. You might be able to give them a call and request an image.

[RWB]

Thanks folks, I have a copy of the book ( "Cyrus E. Dallin; Let Justice Be Done") coming via Interlibrary Loan (ILL), but I'm also looking for a photo-quality image.

 

Dallin commented in a letter to his son in 1920 that he was hoping to make some money on the medals, because he didn't make anything on the coin design.

 

During the 1930s, Dallin made from $15,000 to $30,000 per year on the sale of casts and reproductions of his Indian sculptures, and was very protective of his copyright. His papers include a lot of suits against people for infringement.

 

[physics-fan3.14]

So RWB, whatcha workin' on? Sounds interesting, or is it too early to make an announcement?

[RWB]

Digging into the Great Depression through WW-II period including various pattern, emergency and experimental pieces. Trying to tie the era together, including gold and monetary policy, contingency plans, etc. Lots of things are not what collectors had assumed. Had a lead that Dallin was involved in some 1930s coinage stuff, but was just a typo.

[jackson64]

wow...where can I get one of those medals by Turner with the awesome Mayflower depiction...seriously drooling over that one...

 

 

PS: the sculptor who made the statue I use for my avatar wasn't bad either...think his name was Augustus St Goodens or something like that...

[physics-fan3.14]

That sounds really interesting, Roger. Almost like a continuation of your previous project. I can't wait to see it.

[Just Bob]

PS: the sculptor who made the statue I use for my avatar wasn't bad either...think his name was Augustus St Goodens or something like that...

 

[RWB]

Physics-fan-pi:

 

This next project will be just one book and not as detailed on design processes, etc. There will be as much as I can find on the 1942 cent experiments, nickel alloy changes and “shell case” cents, as well as sections on proofs, 1942 half-dimes and Hawaii and N Africa paper currency. But it will also delve into sales tax tokens, war contingency plans, the gold standard, gold and silver nationalization, and the depression. Commemoratives will get only a small amount of space – they’re covered in specialized books. There will be a lot of new info on working conditions at the mints and profiles of the folks who ran the mint during that time.

 

It is still several years away from publication – much research to be done before I’m ready to say “This is my understanding of what happened.”

 

[RWB]

Thanks for everyone’s help. I just looked in the Dallin biography, but what was supposed to be a photo of his Pilgrim Tercentenary medal was actually of a plaster model that as “thought” to be for a medal that was never made. Since I’ve seen small medals with the ship reverse (but not seen the obverse), I have to conclude that I’m still looking for the medal Dallin hoped to profit from.

 

Continuing the search….

 

[wfisher]

I was researching a medallion that acquired with the purchase of my 1920 commemorative coin. The medallion is just like the coin. Did you ever find your photo you were looking for? Do you have any additional information about the 1920 pilgrim tercentenary medal by Cyrus Dallin?

[RWB]

Nothing suitable, no.

[wfisher]

Is this anything special?

[zadok]

On 4/5/2024 at 8:37 AM, wfisher said:

Is this anything special?

...nope....

[leeg]

This is the only Pilgrim Tercentenary Medal I've owned in the past:

Edited April 7 by leeg

[VKurtB]

On 4/7/2024 at 9:12 AM, leeg said:

This is the only Pilgrim Tercentenary Medal I've owned in the past:

Very compelling piece.

[Rob’s Coins]

Is this by chance what you are looking for? 
 

[Rob’s Coins]