Preview
Creation Date
1892
Geography
Stuttgart, Germany
Medium
Bronze medal
Dimensions
Diameter: 3.5 in. (8.9 cm)
8.0 oz. (226.9 g)
Credit Line
Long-term Loan from the Estate of Boris Blick, 2015
Accession Number
2015.159.1
Condition
This medal is in incredible condition, with the only sign of wear being very minimal rust spots on both the obverse and reverse. (February 2025)
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
Obverse: LIBERTY
Reverse: DEDICATED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN HONOR OF THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA / UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL / 1492
Creator Biography
Wilhelm Mayer was born in 1840 in the German town Lauffen am Neckar. This medal would have been made in his metal ware factory in Stuttgart, which he founded in 1860 with his brother-in-law, Franz Wilhelm (1884).
Description
The obverse of the medal displays a side profile, which is the personification of Liberty, looking to the left. The figure wears a Phrygian cap that is inscribed with the word “LIBERTY” as well as being decorated with flowers and stalks of wheat. At the base of Liberty’s neck, the small inscription “W.M” identifies the maker of the medal. Following the edge of the medal, there is a band of details featuring stars and the year 1892 directly below Liberty’s profile.
On the reverse, there is an intricate scene of Columbus and five of his followers arriving to the land. Columbus stands in the forefront holding up a flag with his Coat of Arms, and his hat sits on the ground to his left. In the background, mountains, palm trees, and the Atlantic ocean are featured. A more subtle detail of the scene is the Native Americans hiding themselves on the right. Similar to the obverse, the reverse also includes a band running around the edge which reads, “DEDICATED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN HONOR OF THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA / UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL”, and the year 1492 is centered directly below the scene itself.