Owner Comments:
1904 LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION, PHILIPPINE EXHIBIT SILVER-LEVEL AWARD MEDAL
NGC AU55 - Certification #4908818-002
SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: Silver Plated Bronze
Shape and Size: 66.7 mm x 66.5 mm
Designer: Adolph Alexander Weinman
Manufacturer: U.S. Philadelphia Mint
Mintage: 725
Catalog Numbers: Hendershott H-30-60, & Honeycutt-70b
NGC Population: 1/1 (4/07/2021)
REGULAR AWARD MEDALS
The award medals for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition were designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman (designer of the Mercury Dime and Liberty Walking Half Dollar) and struck in Bronze by the United States Mint at Philadelphia. Award Medals were produced in four different award levels; "Bronze Medal", "Silver Medal", "Gold Medal" and "Grand Prize." Each award level was struck in a different shape; round for the "Bronze Medal", square for the "Silver Medal" , triangular for the "Gold Medal", and a shield shape for the "Grand Prize" medal. In addition to the award medals the mint also struck a bronze "Commemorative Medal" in a triangular shape. All of these medals share a common central obverse and reverse design. It was not uncommon for recipients of the "Silver Medal" to privately have their medals silver plated. Likewise recipients of the "Gold Medal" and "Grand Prize" medal frequently had their medals privately gold plated. Mintage figures for the regular Award Medals are as follows: Bronze Medal (10,000), Silver Medal (11,500), Gold Medal (9,000), Grand Prize (3,300), and Commemorative Medal (6,000).
OBVERSE DESIGN
The obverse of the medal depicts two female figures above the date MCMIV (1904). The tall taller figure is Columbia, with her arms spread wide holding the United States flag. The youthful maiden at her side represents the Louisiana Purchase Territory. Emblematic of her reception into the union, the maiden is divesting herself of the cloak of France, the material decorated with bees, the emblem of Napoleon. In the background is the rising sun, marking the dawn of a new era of progress to the nation. Encircling the two figures are the words "Universal Exposition - Saint Louis - United States of America."
REVERSE DESIGN
An American Eagle, wings outstretched sits upon a tablet. The tablet is inscribed with the award level and "LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION". Below the tablet are two dolphins symbolizing the nations' eastern and western boundaries, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
PHILIPPINE EXHIBIT
The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, held in St. Louis, provided an opportunity for the U.S. government to show off their new colony. The Philippine Exhibit was mammoth with a small Laguna Bay, Walled City, Visayan, and Moro Villages.
PHILIPPINE EXHIBIT AWARD MEDALS
Philippine Exhibit award medals are known in four levels; "Bronze Medal", "Silver Medal", "Gold Medal," and "Grand Prize". The only difference between the regular issue award medals and Philippine Exhibit award medals is the inscription changes on the cartouche or panel on the reverse of each medal. The tablet on the reverse of the Philippine Exhibit award medals are inscribed with the award level, " PHILIPPINE EXHIBIT" and "LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION". All of the Philippine Exhibit medals are rare and have much lower mintages than their counter-part regular award medal. Mintages for the Philippine Exhibit award medals are as follows: "Bronze Medal" (975), "Silver Medal" (725), "Gold Medal" (600), and "Grand Prize" (100).
AUCTION APPEARANCES OF THIS SPECIMEN
This specimen was purchased RAW in Stack's Bowers October 2018 Baltimore Auction - session 11 - internet Only - U.S. Coins Part 1, Lot # 10245.
REFERENCES
- Hendershott, Robert L. "1904 St. Louis World's Fair The Louisiana Purchase Exposition Mementos and Memorabilia", Kurt R. Krueger Publishing, Iola, Wisconsin, 1994.
- Honeycutt, Earl D. "Philippine Medals & Tokens 1780 - 2020, 3rd Edition 2020, Mactanboy Press, Chapel Hill, NC 2020
- Schenkman, David E. and Levine H. Joseph, "Exonumia Notebook - Unlisted St. Louis World's Fair Medals" in "The Numismatist", July 1977 pp 1374 - 1375, at exacteditions.com.
- Schenkman, David E. and Levine H. Joseph, "Exonumia Notebook - St. Louis World's Fair Official Medals" in "The Numismatist", October 1979 pp 2172 - 2175 at exacteditions.com.