Did you know that the City of Lorain presented Victory medals to its returning veterans after World War I ended?
I didn’t either, until longtime blog contributor Rick Kurish made me aware of it earlier this year after he noticed the above medal advertised on eBay. He noted, "According to the Chronicle-Telegram of June 21, 1919, Lorain was planning a big Fourth of July celebration. Part of the celebration included the presentation of medals of appreciation to the soldiers from the city who served.”
The medal is quite handsome. Its inscription reads, “ PRESENTED BY THE PEOPLE OF LORAIN IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF SERVICES IN THE WORLD WAR 1917-1918.” Under it is a shield that contains a rendering not unlike the Seal of Ohio.
Here’s the other side of the medal.
So who made the medals?
The medals were produced by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. (At the very bottom of the “Lorain” side of the medal are the words, “W & H CO.” and “NEWARK N.J.”)
It’s not surprising that Lorain chose Whitehead & Hoag to produce the medals. At that time, the company was the world leader in manufacturing badges, buttons, banners, gold and enameled emblems and pins, calendars, souvenirs and other advertising novelties.
Since Rick’s discovery of the medal on eBay earlier this year, another one recently turned up there. This one still has its original ribbon intact.
