Description

This bronze memorial medallion was issued by the Chicago Sanitary Fair held at Chicago, Illinois, beginning May 27, 1865, about six weeks after President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. The obverse of the medallion features the right profile of President Abraham Lincoln with the inscription "Memoria in Æterna" above. Directly under the bust is the name of the die-sinker "Paquet F." The reverse features Columbia turned toward the viewer's left, waving the American flag. An eagle standing on a shield on top of arrows is next to Columbia's right foot. Boxes and barrels that are marked NW, NW SV and N.W. SAN COM in front of her. Tents on a battlefield with the sun setting behind mountains are on one side of the background while ships sailing on a body of water are on the other side. "Chicago, Ill. 1865" appears at the bottom of the image. "North Western Sanitary Fair" follows the curve of the medallion on either side of Columbia. 500 of the medallions were struck. A very slight crack in the die for the obverse extending from the base of the brain to the right eye follows almost identically the same course of the bullet fired by John Wilkes Booth when he assassinated President Lincoln. Above information taken from Lincoln Lore issue number 1066, September 12, 1949, Part of the Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, courtesy of the Indiana State Museum