Penicillin Mold Medallion made by Alexander Fleming
date: label: date made
content: mid-1940's to 1953
name: label: referenced
content: Fleming, Alexander
label: maker
content: Fleming, Alexander
notes: label: Description
content: In September 1928, British bacteriologist Alexander Fleming found something unusual growing in his laboratory. Mold had contaminated a plate of Staphylococci, disease-causing bacteria. Where the mold had spread, the bacteria had disappeared.
label: Description
content: Further research revealed that the mold, Penicillium notatum, produced a substance harmful to microorganisms but relatively nontoxic to animals and humans. During World War II, British and American scientists expanded on Fleming's discovery to develop the powerful antibiotic penicillin.
label: Description
content: This two-inch diameter medallion contains a small preserved sample of mold made from Fleming's original penicillin mold culture. Beginning in the mid-1940s, Fleming made a series of these medallions and gifted them to many individuals including friends, colleagues, politicians, and the Royal Family. Fleming gave this one to the Smithsonian in 1953 when a curator requested objects for an exhibit on antibiotics. Fleming's handwritten inscription on the back reads: "Culture of / Penicillium notatum / Alexander Fleming."
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
label: See more items in
content: National Treasures exhibit
label: Exhibition
content: First Do No Harm
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Kendrick, Kathleen M. and Peter C. Liebhold. Smithsonian Treasures of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Sir Alexander Fleming
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.M-06668
label: catalog number
content: M-06668
label: accession number
content: 198819
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Penicillin, Mold, Fleming's
label: Object Name
content: penicillin mold
label: Object Name
content: biological
label: Other Terms
content: Penicillin, Mold, Fleming's; Antibiotics; Biologicals; Drugs; Non-Liquid
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: Penicillium notatum (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/2 in x 2 in; x 1.27 cm x 5.08 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3/8 in x 2 in; x .9525 cm x 5.08 cm