102771 | UNITED STATES & GREAT BRITAIN. Columbian Expo bronze Medal.

102771  |  UNITED STATES & GREAT BRITAIN. Christopher Columbus/Columbian Expo bronze Award Medal. Issued 1896 for the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America and as the official prize [awarded John Laing & Sons] for the 1893 Columbian Expo held in Chicago (76mm, 206.60 g, 12h). By Augustus Saint-Gaudens & Charles Barber, and struck by Scovill Manufacturing Co. in Waterbury.

 

Columbus advancing facing slightly left onto land, extending arms and with head lifted toward the heavens; to upper right, arms of Spain above CHRISTOPHER / COLVMBVS / OCT XII / MCCCCXCII in four lines // Two nude female genii seated back-to-back, one trumpeting, the other inscribing globe between them; garlanded torch to left and right; below, Santa Maria left; all around central plaque reading WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION / IN COMMEMORATION OF THE / FOUR HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY / OF THE LANDING OF COLUMBUS / MDCCCXCII • MDCCCLCIII / TO [JOHN LAING & SONS] in six lines. Edge: A few light scratches in one spot, otherwise plain.

 

Eglit 90; Starlust ST-eg-90; Rulau X3. Gem Mint State. Rich chocolate brown surfaces, with great luster remaining. Includes original aluminum presentation box of issue. Compare to a similar, though slightly less attractive specimen in a PCGS MS-66 Brown holder, that realized a total of $1,200 [!] in the Stack's Bowers June Showcase auction (24 June 2025), lot 1170. Listed in the "100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens" as #53.

 

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 official prize medal was designed by two titans in American coinage of the period, with the resulting medals being distributed in April 1896. Here, the illustrious sculptor-engraver, Augustus Saint-Gaudens—instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with American numismatics—designed the obverse of this official prize medal. Featuring a nude male on the reverse supplied by Saint-Gaudens, the design was later modified to feature nude females instead, with Charles Barber offering the finished product. Though the nude male design of Saint-Gaudens was viewed as a bit too provocative by the committee in charge of approval, the design with not one, but two nude females was gladly accepted by the panel.

 

The recipient of this award medal, John Laing & Sons, is a British company that is still in existence and is a leading international infrastructure investor. Originally founded in 1848 by James Laing in Cumberland, it experienced growth under James's son John, along with his sons, in the second half of the 19th century—the time at which this medal was awarded. During the 20th century, more projects country-wide were completed, along with the company delving into international projects as well. In January 1953, the outfit was listed on the London Stock Exchange and, in more recent years, has undergone numerous structural changes through various acquisitions.

 

Upload: 14 July 2025.