A rare Director’s medal from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition sold for $3,240 in Heritage Auctions’ “Central States US Coins Signature Auction” on April 26, 2020.

Artist Elihu Vedder designed four types of medals for the 1893 World’s Fair. “Director’s medals,” struck in silver and 63 mm in diameter, went to each of the 45 members of the Board of Directors. In addition, bronze “designers medals” were presented to the architects of the Fair on Dedication Day (October 21, 1892); brass “makers medals” went to the Exposition department chiefs; and a small number of gold “officer medals” went to executive committee of the Board of Directors. We reported on a gold “officer medal” belonging to Howard O. Edmonds, Secretary of the Columbian Exposition, selling at auction in 2019.

Obverse and reverse of a Director’s medal, sold by Heritage Auctions in April 2020.

While struck in different metals, the obverse of each type of medal features the same allegorical image of Civilization riding on a winged car, holding a cornucopia and raised feather while facing the sun. The reverse of the Director’s medal contains engraved text reading “TO / ___________ / ONE OF THE DIRECTORS / OF THE / WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION / FROM ITS PRESIDENT / HARLOW N. HIGINBOTHAM / CHICAGO 1893.” The name of the director was specially engraved in script on the second line.

The medal offered by Heritage Auctions contains no recipient name, suggesting it was an extra. Coin collectors assume that only about 50 Director’s medals (Eglit-408) were issued, and very few specimens are known to still exist. In a September 2013 auction of Hoffman Collection of World’s Columbian Exposition Medals, a Director’s medal graded as “About Uncirculated” in condition sold for $2,875.