Medals relating to Dogs
This page shows medals that relate to mankind's canine friends. Dogs have often graced medals, frequently on award medals, but also as man's partner in leisure or activities such as hunting.
Please let me know if I missed a canine-related medal that is already on this site but not part of this collection.
This medal's obverse bears the pointer "Sensation" facing right, within border of stylized undergrowth and small branch of laurels at right. Above, WESTMINSTER / KENNEL CLUB; below, BENCH SHOW
The reverse bears palm frond and laurels around. Towards top, AWARDED / TO; inscribed with dedication Lo Lo Ling / 1911
The edge is marked WHITING MFG. CO. NEW YORK STERLING
In 1876, the members of the Westminster Club, then primarily a shooting organization, commissioned one of its early officials, George deForest Grant, to send to England for a Pointer which the members could use for breeding purposes.
He received a photograph of a dog named Don which had won his bench championship in England. Impressed with the pictures of the dog as much as with his show record, the members arranged to import him under the name of "Sensation."
The sculptor for this medal is not known to me and I would appreciate any information about the artist and the earliest date this medal was used.
The plaque measures 46mm in diameter and was struck in sterling silver by the Whiting Manufacturing Company of New York.
The obverse bears frontal bust of French bull dog in center field. Around, ★ FRENCH BULL DOG CLUB ★ / OF AMERICA. Signed within center field at lower right, MANZ
The first show of the FBDCA was held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City on February 12, 1898. An image of the medal is also incorporated in the cover design for The French Bull Dog, an illustrated monthly for Gilded Age devotees of the breed that ran from 1913 and 1914. An early medal from this series was donated to the Jay Heritage Center in Rye, NY, by Joy Van Norden, daughter-in-law of Warner Montagnie Van Norden, who raised prizewinning Frenchies.
The original image of the medal came from the Jay Heritage Center Archives.
The obverse bears a champion setter at attention under an Irish harp. Three clover leaves on each side. Around, IRISH SETTER CLUB OF AMERICA; over harp, signed LAURA GARDIN / SCULPTOR.
The reverse bears leash over dedication panel. Around, AFFECTION (*) COVRAGE (*) BEAVTY (*) INTELLIGENCE; in center, TO ENCOVRAGE / BREEDING AND / DEVELOP AND PERFECT / NATVRE'S CONTRIBVTION / TO A NOBLE RACE / AWARDED / TO.
This medal measures 76.3mm (3in) in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
References: Baxter 357, Marqusee 170
The obverse bears bust of shepherd dog facing right. Over nose on right, FOUNDED / 1913; around, SHEPHERD-DOG-CLUB / OF-AMERICA; signed over shoulder at right, KILENYI.
The reverse bears idyllic image of sheep pasture with guarding shepherd dog at left and sun on horizon.
The edge is marked MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. BRONZE.
The German Shepherd Dog Club of America was founded in 1913 and incorporated in 1916 by Anne Tracy, Margaret C. Throop, Edith May Schley, Vemon Castle, John Volkman, Paul Huhn, & B.R. Ruggles. Like all breed-specific clubs, its mission was to define the breed, participate in shows, and interest the public.
The medal measures 50mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the Medallic Art Company of New York.
References: MACo 1925-040-01
This medal was chosen as the first issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series. The obverse bears a hunter with rifle at ready, dog at point. To right, STEADY; to left, LGF 1930; at lower left ©. The reverse bears a ruffed grouse in display plumage on fallen log.
For this medal, Laura Gardin Fraser went back to some of her early medallic subjects that she was well known for: small animals. Rather than just creating an animal-themed medal, she put them in the human context of the hunt. It was a smart and popular choice, exactly what the new Society of Medalists needed. She wrote in the brochure that accompanied the medal:
"There are many persons who desire to collect medals but are unable to do so because the medal is used in most instances as a specific award. The scope of subject matter which bears no relation to a particular person or occasion embraces many forms of expression and the sculptor has a large field of choice. In this case, I felt that a sporting subject would be a departure from what one has been accustomed to seeing in medallic art. Therefore, I chose the hunter with his dog because it presented the opportunity of telling a story embodying a human and animal element.
The Medallic Art Company of New York struck a reported 3,235 pieces in bronze. A reported 125 silver medals were struck from the same dies in the 1970s."
References: Marqusee 174
All that being said, this medal in bronze typically trades on eBay between $90 and $130. Silver variants come up very rarely and can fetch several hundred dollars, typically in the $300 to $600 range.
