Exonumia Auction - Maine Antique Digest

Miscellaneous Tokens and MedalsCunard offices. (G-H)Lot 485H142Lot 484SERVICE around TENTH ANNIVERSARY (incused) and atcenter: TO THOSE WHO HAVE SHARED WITH US/ IN THEADVANCEMENT OF BROADCASTING. (G)485. MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE QUEEN MARY, 1936. BHM4282; Eimer 2036. 69.7mm. Bronze. Gilbert Bayes, Sc. (RoyalMint). Choice Uncirculated. The obverse presents a starboard bowquarter of the Queen Mary at sea with two dolphins in the water.In exergue: MARIA REGINA/ MARI ME/ COOMMISIT (QueenMary confided me to the ocean). Reverse with a view of New YorkCity skyscrapers seen through the old bargate of Southampton.Shields of the two cities to left & right. Below the shield of theCunard White Star and a scroll above inscribed COMMISSIONED1936.According to Eimer, the dedicatory inscription on the obverse isbased on Homer and was suggested by Rudyard Kipling. 3,000bronze medals were struck and distributed by Cunard to theworkers of John Brown’s shipyard, the remainder being offeredfor sale on board the ship during the maiden voyage and from the486. WPA ART PROJECT AWARD PLAQUE BY WILLARDHIRSCH, ND. 14 ½” x 8 ¾” Cast Bronze. Extremely Fine.The central device is a stylized tree above a design which we taketo be a “little red school house.” The interior portion of the treecontains figures of four children seated at desks with high-riseschool buildings in the background. The surrounding inscriptionreads: OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS GROWING LIKE ABEAUTIFUL TREE, INJURE IT YOU RETARD ITS GROWTH.At bottom, a raised inscription in 6 lines reads: AWARDED/HONORABLE MENTION/ FOR HIGH ACHIEVEMENT ANDDISTINCTION/ IN PROMOTING RESPECT, PROTECTIONAND/ PRESERVATION OF SCHOOL PROPERTY/ AMONGTHE CHILDREN OF NEW YORK CITY. Incused at bottom leftis: N.Y.C. W.P.A. ART PROJECT. At right: WILLARD HIRSCH>The Federal Art Project was the visual arts arm of the GreatDepression era Works Project Administration. It operated fromAugust of 1935 through June of 1943. Its primary goals wereto employ out-of-work artists and to provide art for non-federalgovernment buildings: schools, hospitals, libraries, etc. WillardNewmann Hirsch (1905-1980). He studied in New York at the