United States. A Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Gold Grade Medal

In bronze, weighing 147 grams, designed as a three-pointed shield, obverse of the medal depicting two female figures above the date "MCMIV" (1904), the taller figure in flowing robes on the left is Columbia, with her arms spread wide holding the United States flag, the youthful topless maiden at her side representing the Louisiana Purchase Territory, emblematic of her reception into the union, the maiden is divesting herself of the cloak of France, the material decorated with bees, the emblem of Napoleon, with the sun rising in the background at the right, marking the dawn of a new era of progress to the nation, surrounded by the inscription "VNIVERSAL EXPOSITION SAINT LOUIS VNITED STATES OF AMERICA" within a circular frame, reverse illustrates a spread-winged eagle, its talons gripping an architectural tablet inscribed "GOLD MEDAL / LOVISIANA PVRCHASE EXPOSITION", a shell-like design in the centre at the base of the tablet, with two dolphins below symbolizing the nation's eastern and western boundaries, the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, within a circular frame, both sides exhibit fourteen stars framing a small wreath at each of the three points of the shield, the wreath at the upper left corner has the conjoined letters "US" (United States), the wreath at the upper right corner has the conjoined letters "NJ" (Napoleon and Jefferson), the wreath at the lower point has a fleur-de-lis (the French heritage of the City of St. Louis), measuring 71.7 mm (w) x 71.5 mm (h), extremely fine. In its case of issue, inscribed "UNIVERSAL EXPOSITION - 1904 - SAINT LOUIS." on the lid, the inside lid and base in maroon felt, the base with a recessed medal bed, the exterior exhibiting light soiling and wear, with separation evident in the front corners on the lid, case very fine.

Footnote: The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds totaling $15 million were used to finance the event. More than 60 countries and 43 of the 45 American states maintained exhibition spaces at the fair, which was attended by nearly 19.7 million people. Historians generally emphasize the prominence of themes of race and empire, and the fair's long-lasting impact on intellectuals in the fields of history, art history, architecture and anthropology. From the point of view of the memory of the average person who attended the fair, it primarily promoted entertainment, consumer goods and popular culture. It opened on April 30, 1904 and closed on December 1, 1904 and had 19,694,855 visitors. The Fair hosted the 1904 Summer Olympic Games, the first Olympics held in the United States. These games had originally been awarded to Chicago, but when St. Louis threatened to hold a rival international competition, the games were relocated. Nonetheless, the sporting events, spread out over several months, were overshadowed by the Fair. With travel expenses high, many European athletes did not come, nor did modern Olympics founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin. The medal was designed by Adolph A. Weinman, who later designed the Walking Liberty Half Dollar and Mercury Dime, as one of his earliest commissions for a struck medal, the engravings and medals struck by the United States mint in Philadelphia.