NUMISMAGRAM MEDAL SELECTIONS: NOVEMBER 8, 2026

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 45, 2026, Article 21

Numismagram's Jeremy Bostwick sent along these five medals from his most recent upload of new material to his site. For all of the new items, please visit https://www.numismagram.com/inventory. -Garrett

103668 | UNITED STATES. Statue of Liberty/"The World" silver award Medal. Issued 1886 to commemorate the newspaper's record-breaking circulation of over 250,000 (45mm, 31.36 g, 12h). By G. A. Rowe in New York City.

STATUE OF LIBERTY / HEIGHTH OF PEDESTAL 89 FT TOTAL HEIGHTH 306 FT 9 IN, view of the Statue of Liberty facing slightly left // THIS MEDAL / PRESENTED / WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF / The World / IS COMMEMORATIVE OF THE PASSING OF / THE 250,000 MARK / THE LARGEST CIRCULATION / EVER ATTAINED BY ANY / AMERICAN NEWSPAPER / SEPTEMBER / 1886 in 11 lines. Edge: Reeded.

Gabriel GO-10. Mint State Details. Very lightly cleaned, with some subtle toning around the devices. A very rare and seldom encountered type, with this cataloger able to locate just three records: a Choice Mint State in Presidential Coin & Antique [Joe Levine] 86 (29 August 2016), lot 1069 at $632.50, a mottled Mint State details in Heritage 462 (14 February 2008), lot 81764 at $184, and an About Uncirculated in Coin Galleries (18 December 2007), lot 2027 at $143.75.

The New York World, originally entitled The World, was first published in 1860 and ran until 1931. Following Joseph Pulitzer's acquisition of it in 1883, the newspaper began a rapid increase in its circulation and subscriber base, owing a great deal to yellow journalism and publicity stunts. An aspect of the latter can be seen with this rare medal, in that Pulitzer sought to raise funds for a pedestal to accompany the newly-arriving Statue of Liberty. With the paper promising to print the name of each and every person who donated, the funds were raised and the pedestal acquired. This medal commemorates the "New Colossus" as well as highlighting the milestone circulation of 250,000 then-attained by The World. About this type, Joe Levine wrote that "...The World ... issued a number of tokens and medals of which this is by far the most outstanding. It is one of the earliest pieces depicting the Statue of Liberty."

103752 | UNITED STATES. Satirical cast type metal "Bryan Dime." Issued 1896 as a campaign commentary on the McKinley–Bryan presidential race (50mm, 12h). By I. F. Repp in Fostoria, Ohio.

VOTE FOR / A 100¢ / DOLLAR / AND / McKINLEY in five lines // FREE SILVER / ONE / DIME / 1896 in four lines.

Schornstein 314 (scarce); Zerbe 27; Kagan (ANS 2020.3), p. 39, fig. 21 = ANS 0000.999.41852. NGC MS-64. Steely gray and quite brilliant and dazzling, with a few scattered spots, but overall a great appearance for the metal type. The finer of just two observed for the type in the NGC census, and far superior to the one observed at PCGS (an AU-53). As such, likely among the finest for the type that one will ever encounter.

The debate between the gold standard and the free and unlimited coinage of silver played out in large part during the 1896 presidential campaigns of William McKinley, the Republican, and William Jennings Bryan, the Democrat. Known for his famous "Cross of Gold" speech, Bryan was mocked and derided for his stance on bimetallism by those in Republican and business circles. As such, a number of campaign items were produced during the campaign expressing this derision, with many poking fun at bimetallism's feasibility through oversized "silver" dollars and other denominations, such as dimes like the example here. For more information on this fascinating period and its numismatic connection, check out The Cross of Gold: William Jennings Bryan, Bimetallism, and Gilded Age Economic Equality, by Helena Kagan in ANS, vol. 19, no. 3, 2020, pp. 28-41.

103514 | GREENLAND & FRANCE. Polar Expeditions bronze Medal. Issued 1953 (72mm, 184.92 g, 12h). By Florentin Brigaud at the Paris mint.

OCEAN GLACIAL ARCTIQUE, view of Greenland (Groenland), with northeastern coastlines of Canada to left and Iceland to right, as well as various expeditions mentioned: Paul-Emile / VICTOR / 1934-37 / 1948-52; duc d'Orléans / 1905; Mission Polaire / 1932-33; de Blosseville 1833 / J. B. Charcot 1925 1936 // EXPEDITIONS + POLAIRES, polar bear standing right on ice shelf. Edge: «cornucopia» BRONZE.

The first half of the 20th century saw a number of expeditions on and around the arctic island of Greenland, with cartographic and ethnographic discoveries emanating from each. While the island does stand as the largest on the planet, its appearance on Mercator projection maps makes it look much larger than it actually is. It is likely such a projection that put it on the radar of a certain president seeking to it add it to the American real estate portfolio. However, Greenland rather clearly is not up for grabs, and is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark—an obvious ally of America in any sane timeline.

103305 | UNITED STATES & GERMANY. Thomas Nast Prize cast bronze award Medal. Issued 1978 for the promotion of German-American relations in the field of media cartoons/caricatures (86mm, 286.02 g, 12h). By Otto Kallenbach.

Stylized bust facing slightly left; LANDAV / PFALZ / 1840 – NEW / YORK / 1902 across field; signature below // FREIHEIT IST NICHT ANARCHIE on banner, donkey and elephant confronting one another; in two lines in exergue, LIBERTY IS NOT / ANARCHY. Edge: X stamped, otherwise plain.

Choice Mint State. Deep brown surfaces, with some lighter hues upon the higher points. An incredibly rare and interesting medal for the "father of the American cartoon."

Born in 1840 in Landau (then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria), Thomas Nast came to America at the age of 10 as his father was at odds with the Bavarian government. Though not excelling at school, he displayed a great aptitude for drawing, eventually becoming a staff illustrator at Harper's Weekly in the middle of the Civil War in 1862. For the next two-plus decades, he was the preeminent political cartoonist in the nation, shaping more than one presidential campaign with his witty and pointed drawings. The elephant representing the Republican party was a creation of Nast and, though he did not similarly create the donkey associated with the Democratic Party, his use of the pair made the latter commonplace. Other creations include Santa Claus—whose depiction in North America emanates entirely from Nast—and the Tammany Hall tiger, a symbol of Boss Tweed's political machine. On the 75th anniversary of Nast's death in 1977, a prize was created to be awarded periodically to German or American cartoonists, with the winners receiving a prize of €1,300, a trip to Landau, and one of these very rare prize medals.

103618 | UNITED STATES. Joseph Pulitzer bronze Medal. Issued 2017. Jewish American Hall of Fame series: commemorating the famous newspaper publisher and politician (49mm x 47mm, 67.39 g, 12h). By Eugene Daub for the Medallic Art Company.

Bust facing slightly left; JOSEPH / PULITZER / 1847- / 1911 in four lines to left // Pulitzer (modeled after a cartoon by William A. Rogers) standing slightly right, head slightly left, holding up printing press and globe entwined with uncut newspaper pages; in four lines to left and right, OUR / REPUBLIC / AND ITS / PRESS – WILL / RISE / OR FALL / TOGETHER. Edge: © 2017 MACO–BRONZE / 065.

JAHF 48. Gem Mint State. Darkened bronze surfaces. Serially numbered 65 of just 110 produced.