Medallic Art Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Minting, Medal production |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Founder | Henri Weil, Felix Weil |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Dayton , United States |
| Products | Academic honors, ceremonial maces, medallions, chains of office, university insignias, medals for awards such as Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award |
Medallic Art Company, Ltd. based in Dayton, Nevada, was formerly recognized as the largest and oldest privately owned mint in the United States, focusing on academic honors, ceremonial maces, medallions, chains of office, and university insignias. Following its bankruptcy in 2018, the American Numismatic Society obtained its vast collection of medals, dies, casts, galvanos, photographic documentation, and other cultural materials. This acquisition led to the launch of the MACO Project aimed at systematically cataloging and making these resources accessible for scholarly study.
History
Established in 1903 in Manhattan by French sculptor Henri Weil, Medallic Art Company emerged from the collaboration between Weil and his brother Felix, who initially worked at Deitsch Brothers—a manufacturer of die-struck handbag decorations. As handbag fashions evolved, the brothers adapted their equipment to produce medals and eventually took ownership of Medallic Art Company. One of their early notable commissions was the creation of the Hudson-Fulton Medal in 1909 for the Circle of Friends of the Medallion.
The company underwent multiple relocations: moving to Danbury, Connecticut in 1972; then Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1991; and ultimately settling in Dayton, Nevada in 1997 where it operated a facility spanning 115,000 square feet.
Medallic Art specialized in crafting bespoke two-dimensional and three-dimensional medals and was responsible for producing distinguished awards such as the Pulitzer Prize, Peabody Award, Newbery and Caldecott Medals, as well as Inaugural Medals for eleven U.S. Presidents.
In July 2009, Northwest Territorial Mint acquired Medallic Art. However, after Northwest Territorial Mint declared bankruptcy in April 2016 amid fraud accusations against its president, Medalcraft Mint, Inc. purchased Medallic Art’s tradename, website, client lists, archives, specialized machinery, dies, and other property in 2018. Additionally, the American Numismatic Society secured nearly 20,000 dies and archival materials predating 1998 from Northwest Territorial Mint’s bankruptcy proceedings to safeguard the historical heritage of the company.
Notable Medallic Series
Between 1963 and 1975, Medallic Art produced a bronze and silver medal series portraying individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame for Great Americans at New York University. This series included 96 medals crafted by 42 different sculptors.
In 1971, Roche Jaune Inc., located in Kalispell, Montana, was commissioned by the National Park Service to develop the "National Parks Centennial Series," comprising 37 medals that depicted various scenes from U.S. national parks. Designed by Frank Hagel and struck by Medallic Art Company in both bronze and silver versions—the bronze medals were available via subscription with unlimited mintage while silver medals were restricted to a limited edition of 7,500 complete sets.
Medallic Art Company also produced medals for prominent U.S. series such as the Circle of Friends of the Medallion and The Society of Medalists. The latter was issued annually from 1930 through 1995 with quantities determined by subscriber demand.
See also
External links
- Official website of Medallic Art Company Ltd.
- Professional Coin Grading Service: Medals Can Be Fine Art by Richard Giedroyc - February 24, 2000. An article exploring the artistic value of Medallic Art.