Exonumia Auction - Maine Antique Digest

Miscellaneous Tokens and MedalsLot 431LA SCIENCE/ REALISE. (F-G)432. ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO NORMAN WAIT HARRISPRIZE MEDAL, (1909). Smedley 86. 70mm. Bronze. Victor D.Brenner, Sc. (MACO). Unc. The obverse bears a standing femalefigure in classical dress, a palette in her left hand and a paintbrush in her right. She stands behind two close pillars. Above isthe legend: THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. The reversedepicts a front view of the Institute between vertical oak and laurelbranches. Above is the legend: THE NORMAN WAIT HARRISPRIZE. Below the building is the incused inscription: AWARDEDMINI FIXED PRICE LISTSSince our June auction of last year, we have issuedover fifty Mini-Fixed Price Lists of Tokens andMedals. There are usually no more than a dozen or sopieces priced in the $50-1500.00 range. Each item isfully described with a color scan. Priced right? We sell80% of the items listed. If you are not receiving theselists, that means we do not have an e-mail address foryou - yes, the list is sent out only by e-mail. If youwish to receive our next list - please forward youre-mail address to us, (We don’t share it with anyone!)Lot 432TO. The area below is uninscribed. (G)433. A COMPLETE SET OF THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS OFTHE MEDALLION ART MEDALS IN BOOKS, 1909-1915.The Circle of Friends of the Medallion was formed in Manhattan in1909. They were self-described as ...”a band of artists and lovers ofthe arts, of both sexes, who hope to encourage in the public a tastefor small sculptures and especially bas-relief.” The designs werechosen by a committee and the medals issued by the Circle wentto members only, without charge beyond the annual dues. TheCircle issued twelve medals each in a limited edition of 500, someof them historical, others expressing abstract ideas. The medals,when issued, were housed in pasteboard holders in books whichalso included letterpress describing the theme of each medal andinformation about the sculptor who designed it. Stamped in goldon the cover of the twelve books is a portrait in medallic form ofPisanello, the Italian Renaissance sculptor who first developed thecommemorative medal from the coin. The series ended in 1915.Offered here is a complete set of 12 medals, each housed in itsoriginal book of issue. All of the medals are uncirculated, althougha number of them have developed what Alexander refers to as a“swirl pattern as they age.” The books are in quite nice condition,121H