John Severinus Conway

You can click on the medals to see the reverse.

• Charles Dickens 1912

  by John Severinus Conway

  

  

  COF-6.1

  Light tan patina

  This medal was chosen as the sixth issue of the prestigious Circle of Friends if the Medallion series in 1912. The obverse bears large bust of Charles Dickens. Around, CHARLES DICKENS - NOVELIST (*); in right field, To A / BLITHE / SPIRIT / THE F OF / THE M.

  The medal's reverse bears Bob Crachit with stunted Tiny Tim on shoulder, holding crutch in right hand and spray of holly in left. In right field, GOD / BLESS / US / ALL EV'RY / ONE; signed in left field, CONWAY.

  1912 was the year of the Charles Dickens Centennial and saw a lot of Dickens medals issued. A very similar obverse appeared on the Charles Dickens Centenary medal by Henning Ryden.

  The medal measures 70mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Davison Company of Philadelphia. The mintage is not known.

  Variants

  This medal comes in a number of known variants. Below you can find the ones that are known to me. Please let me know if you have one that is not listed here. You can see images of the variants I have by dragging the medal image above to the left (or right).

  COF-6.1

  Bronze

  70.0mm (2.76in)

  Light tan patina

  CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

  DAVISON PHILA.

  COF-6.1

  Light tan patina

  Last modified: 15 Jul 2015

• 

  The Victorious Charge (1898)

  John Conway's best-known statue is The Victorious Charge, still standing today in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the Court of Honor. Conway completed the statue in Rome in 1898, as the inscription on the back lower right reads, then had it shipped back to Milwaukee. The statue's design was revolutionary, as most war monuments previously constructed were more along the lines of portraiture of a single man or in the equestrian style. By contrast, The Victorious Charge depicts soldiers in action.

  The dedication reads:

  TO. THOSE. WHO. FOUGHT. IN. THE. WAR. FOR. THE. UNION. 1861-1865 ERECTED.1898.

  A larger version of this image is available here.