Erie Canal medal, Great Britain, 1825
date: label: date made
content: 1825
name: label: maker
content: Thomason, Edward
label: obverse engraver
content: Thomason, Edward
label: reverse engraver
content: Thomason, Edward
notes: label: Description
content: This medal was created to capitalize on the enthusiasm for the Erie Canal linking Buffalo with Albany. On the obverse, Pan sits beside Poseidon, with a cornucopia representing the bounty of the Great Lakes, a lighthouse in the distance, and “UNION OF ERIE WITH THE ATLANTIC.” The reverse has elements of the coat of arms of New York State (an eagle atop a part of a globe, over a shield with “EXCELSIOR” on banner). At left is a section of the canal; at right is a ship in full sail, and a large structure representing the City of New York. The text reads “ERIE CANAL COMMENCED 4 JULY 1817 COMPLETED 26 OCTR 1825” and “THOMASON.”
label: Description
content: According to a notice posted in several American newspapers in November 1826: “Mr. Thomason, the celebrated manufacturers of fancy articles at Birmingham, was making a medal die, copied from that which the corporation of New-York gave to the Duke of Saxe Weimar, in memory of the canal celebration. A quantity of medals are to be struck off for the American market. Mr. Thomason says it will be the largest coin ever made, being somewhat larger than the Napoleon medals.”
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: Grand Bretagne
label: place of issue
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: Exhibition
content: On the Water
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1991.0009.0638
label: catalog number
content: 1991.0009.0638
label: accession number
content: 1991.0009
objectType: label: Object Name
content: medal
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: struck (overall production method)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall metal)
label: Physical Description
content: circular (overall shape)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8.14 cm; 3 7/32 in