Cyrus W. Field
Laurel leaves surround
the portrait bust

Detail of portrait

Medal diameter 50mm
Bronze, white metal

NIL DESPERANDUM
PERSEVERANTIA VINCIT
Presented
to
Cyrus W. Field,
by a Few of His Friends in
New York,
for His
Perseverance
in Superintending
the Laying of the
Atlantic Telegraph
Cable
Aug. 5th 1858

The medals are marked
on the obverse:
G.H. Lovett, N.Y.
A.B. Sage Pub.
(August B. Sage)

The Cyrus Field medals above and below were struck by George Hampden Lovett of New York in bronze and white metal. These are copies of the gold medal presented to Cyrus Field by the merchants of New York, which was still in his possession at the time of his death. The gold medal was left in his will as part of a group of items to be divided among his children.

The Latin motto around the reverse translates as, “Never Despair. Perseverance Conquers,” referring to the three attemps to lay the cable before the success of 1858.

There are two versions of the wording on the reverse of these medals, as noted; with minor variations in the text, and with and without the Aug. 5th 1858 date.

Lovett’s advertising (on the token shown to the right) reads:

Medals struck in gold, silver, bronze &c.
Geo. H. Lovett, Medal Die-Sinker,
131 Fulton Street, New York

The flaw on the reverse of the undated medal below is in the die; it appears on both the bronze and white metal versions.

Cyrus W. Field
Laurel leaves surround
the portrait bust

Medal diameter 50mm
Bronze

NIL DESPERANDUM,
PERSEVERANTI VINCIT
Presented
to
Cyrus W. Field
by a Few of His Friends
in
New York, for
His Perseverance in
Superintg. the Laying
of the
Atlantic Telegh.
Cable

Medal diameter 58mm
Gold

Richard Williamson, Asst. Engineer. R.N.

After the successful completion of the Atlantic cable in August 1858, by order of the Chamber of Commerce of New York, Tiffany & Company made commemorative medals in gold, each engraved with the name of one of the members of the cable expedition who had sailed on the ships of the cable fleet: Niagara, Agamemnon, Gorgon and Valorous.

Two sizes and weights of medal were made, both in the purest gold; nine of 2¾" (70mm) diameter, each weighing five ounces, were presented to the expedition’s principals, and approximately fifty medals of about 2¼" (58mm) diameter, each weighing three ounces, were presented to the other crew and staff of the cable fleet.

The page on Richard Williamson, who was awarded the gold medal shown above for his part in the cable expedition, has further details on these medals, including a list of most of the recipients.

Copies of the medal were also struck by Tiffany in bronze for general circulation. 58mm, 115.4gm. Two different designs of the obverse are known; one the same as the gold medal (above) and one with different figures and motifs (below).

How Are You Jonathan

Purty Well Old Feller
Heow’s Yerself

Token diameter 31mm
White metal

Atlantic Telegraph
Successfully
Laid
5th of
August
1858

Geo. H. Lovett
Medal
Die-Sinker

Brass

Boy and Dog
W.H. Bridgens New York

Copper

George H Lovett made a variety of these tokens in 1858, in silver, copper, brass, and white metal. The obverse shows John Bull and Brother Jonathan exchanging lightning bolts across the ocean, with a ship laying cable between them; the most commonly seen reverse has the date of the landing of the cable..

Some examples have Lovett's “Medal Die-Sinker” advertisement on the reverse. Others have “Boy and Dog/W.H. Bridgens New York”* on the reverse, with an image of a boy riding a dog.

*Another, unrelated, William H. Bridgens token lists him as “Bridgens/Metal Tokens/&/Store Cards/189/William St”. The catalogue entries of the American Numismatic Society for two Boy and Dog tokens with a different obverse record the name as W.S. Bridgens, but on close inspection the example above clearly shows the second initial as H.

Token diameter 22mm
White metal

G. Stokes
Fine
Clothing
607
Chestnut St. Phila.

This token, made by Granville Stokes to promote his business in Philadelphia, incorporates a section of the 1858 cable, and at 6mm is much thicker than a normal token. See side view below.

Submarine Telegraph

Pinches London

Medal diameter 26mm
Bronze

Finis Coronat Opus

The
Atlantic Cable
Commenced
July 7th
Completed
July 27. 1866

The obverse shows the shields of the United States and Great Britain with a trident and lightning bolts between and laurel branches below, the various elements linked by an intertwined cable.

The Latin motto on the reverse, “Finis Coronat Opus,” generally translated as “The End Crowns the Work,” refers to the several attempts to lay the cable (in 1857, 1858, and 1865), before success was finally achieved in 1866.

The medal maker, Pinches, London, was founded by John Pinches (1825-1905) in 1840, and continues to make medals today as part of the Franklin Mint.

To Cyrus W. Field The Original Projector of The Atlantic Telegraph

Medal diameter 65.5mm
Bronze

From The State of Wisconsin.
Perseverantia Vincit

1867 From the State of Wisconsin to Cyrus Field. Bronze, 65.5mm, 132.8gm. Marked “Borrel Fecit” on both obverse and reverse, and struck by Tiffany & Co. The engraver was Valentin Maurice Borrel (1804-1882).

This is a copy in bronze of the gold medal presented to Cyrus Field by the State of Wisconsin, which was still in his possession at the time of his death. The gold medal was left in his will as part of a group of items to be divided among his children. Six bronze copies were also made and distributed, including one to Governor Fairchild, whose heirs donated it to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

The obverse depicts Field facing left and has the wording: “To Cyrus W. Field The Original Projector of The Atlantic Telegraph”.

The reverse depicts the coat of arms of Wisconsin and has the wording: “From The State of Wisconsin. Perseverantia Vincit” (compare with the 1858 Lovett medal above).

In 1867 the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin passed a joint resolution authorizing Governor Fairfield to prepare a suitable medal for Cyrus Field. [An Illustrated History of the State of Wisconsin by Charles Richard Tuttle, page 605].

From Public Documents of the State of Wisconsin, 1869, “The Governor’s Message” page 19:

CYRUS W. FIELD.
In obedience to joint resolution number ten, 1867, I have caused to be prepared and transmitted to Cyrus W. Field a suitable gold medal, in recognition of his distinguished services in connection with the successful completion of the Atlantic cable

Obverse: The shields of Great Britain and of the United States, superimposed upon the ocean, with mottoes below. Above is the Great Eastern steamship. The motto on ribbon beneath the shield of the United Kingdom; “DIEU ET MON DROIT.” The motto on ribbon beneath the United States shield: “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” The central design is appropriately surrounded by an unbroken length of cable. The peripheral legend, “ATLANTIC • TELEGRAPH • CABLE * 1866 *” The medallists’ mark, “J.S. & A.B. WYON SC.” located beneath the UK motto. SC is an abbreviation for the Latin sculpsit  “he (they) engraved it.”

Medal diameter 76mm
Bronze with heavy gold plating

Reverse: The central design on a field of stars has two laurel branches above, the recipients name inscribed in a frame in the center and at the bottom, the symbol with motto for the city of Liverpool. The motto inscribed on ribbon: “DEUS NOBIS HAEC OTIA FECIT.” The central region is surrounded by an unbroken length of cable. The peripheral legend: “PRESENTED BY THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • LIVERPOOL*” The medallists’ mark, “J.S. & A.B. WYON SC.” located beneath the frame. The inscription on the illustrated medal is “TO SIR SAMUEL CANNING.”

The medal is bronze with a heavy gold plating, 76mm in diameter, 206.8 grams.

From the Illustrated London News, Saturday March 30th, 1867:

The American Chamber of Commerce at Liverpool resolved some months ago that a gold medal should be made and presented by the Chamber to Sir Samuel Canning, chief engineer; Mr. Cyrus W. Field, of New York, the original projector of the Atlantic Telegraph; Sir James Anderson, the Commander of the Great Eastern steamship; and Mr. Willoughby Smith, the electrician, in commemoration of the successful laying of the Atlantic Telegraph cable.

The medal above was presented to Sir Samuel Canning.

The full story of this medal, which belongs to Herman Blanton and is shown here by his kind permission, may be seen on this page.

The National Maritime Museum has an uninscribed, silver-frosted copy of this medal.

NAPOLEON III
EMPEREUR

The laurel-wreathed head of Emperor Napoleon III, facing left, and the signature H. PONSCARME F.

Medal diameter 67mm
Gold

EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE
DE MDCCCLXVII A PARIS
GRAND PRIX

Cyrus Field et
Cie. Anglo American
du cable Transatlantique

Two putti support an inscribed panel with a laurel wreath above and an eagle as an emblem for France below.

This GRAND PRIX medal was awarded at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1867 to Cyrus W. Field and the Anglo-American Telegraph Company for laying the transatlantic cable from Ireland to Newfoundland in 1866.

François Hubert Ponscarme, 1827-1903, was a French medallist and sculptor. The Grove Dictionary of Art notes that “the prize medal he executed for the Exposition Universelle in Paris of 1867 was very well received...”.

The design was used for all the medals at the 1867 Exposition, the panel being inscribed according to the award. The medal was also struck in bronze at the same size, with the recipient's name in the tablet and “POUR SERVICES RENDUS” replacing “GRAND PRIX” at the bottom of the medal, and in gold of diameter 51mm with the legend “RECOMPENSES”. There was also a 37mm version in bronze with a different reverse design.

Cyrus Field's gold medal was donated by him in 1892 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, together with many other works from his collection.

Some information in this section is from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series, Vol. 56, No. 3, Winter, 1998-1999. Charlotte Gere: “European Decorative Arts at the World's Fairs: 1850-1900”.

Honor and fame are the reward.
Indomitable perserverance and enduring faith achieved the success.

Medal diameter 76mm
Bronze

By resolution of the Congress of the United States, March 2 1867, to Cyrus W. Field of New York for his foresight, faith and persistency in establishing telegraphic communication by means of the Atlantic Telegraph connecting the old with the new world.

The original of this medal, measuring 103mm and weighing almost 27 ounces, was struck in gold and awarded to Cyrus Field in 1868. It was still in his possession at the time of his death and was left in his will as part of a group of items to be divided among his children.

The images here are of the bronze replica issued by the United States Mint for general circulation. The bronze medal is 76mm (3") in diameter. A larger 103mm version (matching the size of the gold medal) was also struck in bronze.

The Cyrus Field medal is United States Mint medal number 625, not currently available from the Mint, but I have one for sale - email me for more information.

Click here for the full story of this medal, courtesy of Rich Hartzog of World Exonumia

Telegrafos sub-marino entre el Rio de la Plata y el Brasil y terrestre en el Rep.[ublica] O.[riental] del Uruguay
1874

(Submarine telegraph between the River Plate and Brazil and terrestrial in the [Eastern] Rep[ublic] of Uruguay)

Medal diameter 36mm
Silver

Concesionarios y Organizadores de la Comp. Platino Brasilera

(Concessionaries and Organizers of the Platino-Brazilian Company)

Dr. D. Andres Lamas
D. Andres F. Lamas
y D. Pedro S. Lamas

Directorio Primitivo

D. H. Haupt
D. A. Klingelhoffer
y D. H. Wohlgemuth

Inaugural medal for the River Plate cable of the Companhia Telegrafica Platino-Brasilera, made and laid in 1874 by Siemens Brothers, London.

The medal is marked A.M under the date on the obverse.

Gustavo Coll notes that the medal shows the emblems of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay on the obverse (clockwise from top), while the reverse shows the name of the founders and those of the first Board of Directors.

Andres Lamas was a prominent Uruguayan politician and diplomat.

REPUBLICA ARGENTINA
THE WESTERN TELEGRAPH COMPANY LD.
INAUGURACION
DEL CABLE DIRECTO A EUROPA
MAYO MCMX
LEY NO 6494.

O.D.V. Guillonet
Paris
STERN Graveur

Edge stamped 'BRONZE'

The1910 cable ran from St Vincent - Ascension - Buenos Aires, connnecting at St Vincent with the cable to Madeira laid in 1901, and also to the 1906 cable to Fayal, Azores, which connected to Carcavelos and Porthcurno.

The designer of the medal was the French artist Octave Denis Victor Guillonnet and it was engraved by Stern of Paris.

Obverse: On a background of waves two females in classical dress. On the left Argentina (right), left hand slightly forward, in her right hand a cornucopia; on the right, helmeted Europa (left), right hand forward, in her left hand a trident.

Reverse: Divided into three panels (from left to right): In the left panel are objects symbolic of Argentina—caduceus, coat of arms within encircling branches, scythe, cow's head, cornucopia. In the centre panel are mermaids, the cable behind. The right panel shows objects symbolic of Europe—caduceus, the British Royal arms, an anchor behind a crossed steering oar and trident.

The images of this medal are courtesy of Gustavo Coll.

ANTIVM
(Antium)

Medal diameter 25mm
Gold

INAVGVRAZIONE DEL CAVO
ANZIO-SVD AMERICA
LATINA GENS PER
VNDAS JVNCTA
OTTOBRE MCMXXV

Inaugural medal for the Italcable cable system from Italy to South America. The project was started in 1924 and completed in 1925.

The medal was sculpted by A[ngelo] Mistruzzi of Rome. The American Numismatic Society catalogue records a bronze copy of this medal, diameter 36mm.

The inscription on the reverse of the medal reads:

Inaugurazione Del Cavo
Anzio-Sud America
Latina Gens Per
Undas Juncta
Ottobre MCMXXV

Inauguration of the Cable
Anzio-South America
Latin Peoples
Joined through the Waves
October 1925

The images of this medal are courtesy of Miguel Santos.

All America Cables

Medal diameter 80mm
Bronze

From the First Signal Fires
to All America Cables
Commemorating Fifty Years
of Service to the Americas
1878 May 28 1928

All America Cables, Inc. 50th anniversary medallion, designed by Julio Kilenyi and produced by Whitehead and Hoag. 83mm diameter, 212gm.

On Tuesday, May 8 [1928], President Merrill called to his office all members of the New York staff and presented each individual with a medallion, commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the founding of All America Cables, Inc. He shook hands with each person and thanked every man and woman for the faithful service he or she had performed for All America Cables.

The medallion is a singularly beautiful thing and everybody was impressed by its attractiveness. The design was executed by Mr. Julio Kilenyi, an artist and sculptor of international fame.

[Source: All America Review, June, 1928]

Transatlantic Telegraph
1866 - 1966
Cyrus W. Field

Great Eastern
First
Cable Ship

This 1966 medal commemorates the centenary of the 1866 cable.

The obverse shows Zeus
and Poseidon

Medal diameter 68.7mm

The wording around the edge of the reverse translates as: “From the whole world to the whole world via Portugal,” and the centre wording as: “Submarine cable station Sesimbra inaugurated by his excellency the President of the Republic Americo Thomaz 11-8-1969”.

This cable from Sesimbra, Portugal to Goonhilly, England, was manufactured by Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd. and was owned and operated by the British GPO and the Portuguese CPRM (Companhia Portuguesa Rádio Marconi).

The Portuguese medal shown above below commemorates the 1969 inauguration of the Sesimbra cable station. In 1973 a radio link connected Sesimbra to the TAT-5 cable station at Conil, Spain.

Systema de Telecomunicacoes TAT-5/MAT-1
Abril 1970

Medal diameter 80mm
Bronze

Companha Portuguesa
Radio Marconi

The fifth in a series of transatlantic telephone cables which began with TAT-1 in 1956, TAT-5 was laid in 1970 between Green Hill, Rhode Island, USA and Conil, Spain, with an extension from Estepona, Spain, to Palo, Italy, designated as MAT-1. TAT-5 had a capacity of 845 telephone circuits and MAT-1 640 circuits.

This medal, diameter 80mm, was created by Portuguese sculptor Joao Duarte for Companha Portuguesa Radio Marconi, the Portuguese telecommunications company. The obverse shows the cable route from the USA to Spain, with the ongoing connection to Italy The reverse has the insignia of the country of each of the main partners in the cable. Other partners were ITT World Communications, RCA Global Communications, and Western Union International.

Cabo Submarino Atlantis 1982

Medal diameter 80mm
Bronze

CPRM telecomuniçacöes internaciones
CompanhiaPortuguesaRádioMarconi

Esc[ultura] Soares Branco
Med89.GR.Medaglis

Companhia Portuguesa Rádio Marconi (CPRM) commemorative medallion for Atlantis, laid in 1982 from Brazil to Portugal via Senegal (Recife - Dakar - Burgau). The medal commemorates the completion of section 2 of the cable, between Senegal and Portugal.

Section 1: Recife, Brazil - Dakar, Senegal, 1380 x 4kHz channels. Cable manufactured by Standard Telephones & Cables Ltd. and laid by CS Cable Venture. for Telesenegal/Embratel. System 1855 nm.

Section 2: Dakar, Senegal - Burgau, Portugal, 2580 x 4 kHz channels. Cable made by Câbles de Lyon; Alcatel manufactured the repeaters. Laid by CS Vercors for CPRM/Embratel. System 1570 nm. This section of the cable is commemorated by the medal above.

Both sections of the cable were withdrawn from service in 2000.

Medal diameter 63mm
Bronze

Standard Telephones and Cables
ANZCAN 1984

STC Commemorative Medallion for ANZCAN.

In 1984 Standard Telephone and Cables Ltd (STC) celebrated its part in manufacturing ANZCAN with a commemorative medallion, which was given to all employees. Jim Jones, who was working at STC in Greenwich at the time, supplied the scans of his medallion shown above.

Laid in 1984 as a replacement for COMPAC, ANZCAN followed the same route from Australia and New Zealand to Canada, with the addition of a landing at Norfolk Island. The cable was 8,250 nm long, with 1,213 repeaters and a capacity of 1,380 telephone circuits.

Queen Victoria & Pr. Albert

Token diameter 46mm
White metal

“Great Eastern entering New York harbor as crowd on pier waves and smaller ships scurry about” (Rulau)

Token diameter 31mm
Copper

The Steamship
Great Eastern
Arrived
at
New York
June 28 1860
from
England to America

Issued in 1860 as a souvenir of the Great Eastern's first voyage to New York. Several designs of token were produced that year in copper, brass, and white metal, most of them by George H. Lovett.

Same obverse as above

Reverse (shown at right):

Purchased on Board
the Great Eastern
1860
Tonage
24.000
Horse Power
2.600
Length 692 Ft.
Breadth
83 Ft.
Depth 60 Ft.

Copper

Also issued in 1860 as a souvenir of the Great Eastern's first voyage to New York, the following token is larger than the others, at 42mm. This is not identified as made by Lovett; note the differences in the image of the ship, the wording, and the statistics.

The Great Eastern Steamship
Screw, Paddle and Sail
Length 692 Ft.
Breadth
83 Ft.
Depth 58 Ft.

Token diameter 42mm
White metal

25.000 Tons Burthen
4 Decks
Spreads 6500 Sq Yds
Of Canvas
Draught of Water
20 Feet &
When Laden 30 Ft.
Depth of Hull 83 Ft.
3000 Horsepower
Will Accommodate 10,000 Troops

The Great Eastern
1861

Token diameter 33mm
White metal

Tonnage 24,000
Length 692 Ft Bredth 83ft Depth 60ft
2,600
Horsepower
4, Decks
10, Boilers
112, Furnaces
10, Anchors
Will Carry
10,000
Troops

Lewis’s
Great Eastern

Token diameter 33mm
White metal

Lewis’s
Great Eastern
Exhibition
Liverpool
1886

After her final cable voyage in 1874 the Great Eastern fell into dire straits. In 1885 the High Court of Justice ordered the ship to be auctioned and the date was set for 28 October of that year.

Louis S. Cohen, Managing Director of Lewis’s Department Store in Liverpool, made a private offer of £20,000 for the ship, but this was rejected by the mortgagees and the auction took place under the watchful eye of Mr. Justice Chitty. The first offer was £10,000 and it gradually rose to the final bid of £26,200 offered by Edward de Mattos, the representative of London Traders Ltd. This company intended to load the ship with coal, sail it to Gibraltar, and use it as a coal hulk.

Cohen, having failed to purchase the Great Eastern, offered to charter the ship for a year on condition that it was made available for the Liverpool Exhibition of Navigation, Travelling, Commerce and Manufactures to be held in 1886.

The exihibition was duly held, and these tokens were issued as souvenirs of a visit to the Great Eastern.

Bill Glover's complete story of the Great Eastern may be found on this page, and details of the Exhibition are here.

Great Eastern
1860

Medal diameter 41mm
Nickel-silver

Great Ship
Company

A modern medal designed and produced in France by the Paris Mint, this is one of a series featuring great ocean liners.

The engraver, Claude Gondard (1944- ), was trained as an engineer and studied at the École Polytechnique and the École Nationale Supérieure du Génie Maritime.