101468 | UNITED STATES. Christopher Columbus white metal Medal.

101468  |  UNITED STATES. Christopher Columbus white metal Medal. Issued 1892. Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America (31mm, 9.12 g, 12h). By G. H. Lovett.

 

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, half-length bust facing slightly right, wearing ruffled collar / FOUR HUNDREDTH / ANNIVERSARY / OF THE / DISCOVERY OF AMERICA / CELEBRATED IN THE / UNITED STATES / OCT.21.1892 in seven lines; all within wreath; above, radiant Eye of Providence above two wreaths containing 1492 and 1892; FROM DEEPEST BARBARISM TO HIGHEST CIVILIZATION around. Edge: Plain.

 

Eglit 228; Rulau –. Choice Mint State. Highly brilliant and lustrous, with a few scattered marks and hairlines; a subtle rim bruise is also noted for completeness.

 

During the lead-up to the quadricentennial of Columbus's initial contact with the New World, numerous medals were designed and struck, both in the United States—in conjunction with the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago—and abroad, sometimes for this event or for similar others. In this case, the domestic celebration was the focal point, with the designer being none other than the famous George H. Lovett. The rather propagandistic phrase "from deepest barbarism to highest civilization" can be neither avoided nor somewhat scoffed at, however, and paints quite a gilded portrait of the manner in which European contact was viewed both contemporarily and, in some cases, to this day.

 

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