Medallions and Medals from the World War I Era.

Largest Size: 6 x 2 1/4 x 3/4 in. 

This important collection consists of the following medals and medallions, and we believe most of them belonged to Roy C Stowe, a captain in the 103rd Field Artillery Regiment out of Rhode Island during the first World War:     
a.  a French Verdun Commemorative medal from 1916, this was a bronze military decoration awarded to soldiers who fought in the battle of Verdun during World War I. The medal is attached to the original red ribbon with red, white, and blue stripes and it includes two long, thin metal pins used for pinning the medal to a soldier’s uniform. The medal is inscribed “On Ne Passe Pas”, which means “they shall not pass”, the famous words associated with the defense of Verdun; the medal was established in November 1916 to honor the sacrifice of the soldiers who held the line against a massive German offensive, and when the battle ended, the death toll on both sides was more than 250,00 dead and more than 500,000 wounded, and even though it was considered an unofficial municipal decoration rather than an official state medal, it is one of the most highly respected and widely recognized tokens of heroism from the Great War.
b.   The Great War for Civilization Victory Medal from World War I, this medal features four battle clasps and a defensive sector bar; the battle clasps include the battle for the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and the Meuse-Argonne campaign, all representing major combat operations during the war; the bottom bar denotes service in a general combat sector not specifically covered by a named campaign; the medal is bronze and features a winged Nike, the goddess of Victory, holding a sword and shield on the obverse. 
c.  These four pins and badges come in a black box with a hinged lid:
a US Army 103rd Field Artillery Regiment pin with crossed cannons, the pin was worn on the collar by both officers and enlisted soldiers
a United States Army Marksman Qualification badge with a Field Artillery qualification bar suspended from the badge, the badge is shaped in the style of an Iron Cross  
another United States Army Marksman Qualification badge shaped in the style of an Iron Cross, this one is marked “Sterling” on the back a vintage US Army brass collar insignia lapel pin marked “US”, likely from the World War II era 
d. This is a sharpshooter’s 1st Class silver badge from the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, it is marked “Sterling” on the back back of the badge, it comes in its original box and there are two small loops at the bottom of one of the sides of the cross, the loops provided the sharpshooter a chance to add more qualification bars to the badge, to show more proficiency with other weapons. The box is dated Aug. 19, 1924 and “E.O.” stand for “equipment order”, which allowed the arsenal to track the item for that production run.
e. United States Navy Good Conduct medal with a maroon silk ribbon, a circular bronze design featuring the USS Constitution on the obverse and marked “Fidelity Zeal Obedience” on the back of the medal, and space on the back of the medal to engrave the name of the recipient and the date the person completed their  enlistment - there is no recipient’s name inscribed here. The medal comes with its original envelope marked “Medal Good Conduct Navy Type I Class 27”. 
g.  a Rhode Island Coast Guard medal with a red silk ribbon, marked “Semper Paratus” (Always Ready” in Latin”), “7 Years”, “Long and Faithful Service” and “R.I.M.” on the front of the medal and engraved “Roy C Stowe Capt 1916 - 1922” on the reverse; this was a state-issued military decoration, not the official federal Coast Guard Medal which was established in 1958. The medal and ribbon have more value because the recipient’s name is listed, the ribbon is in very good condition, with strong color and no fraying, and the ribbon has its original mounting hardware. 
f.  Greater Providence, Rhode Island 325th Anniversary Celebration Medal from 1961. It was issued as a trade token valid for 50 cents in cash or trade at cooperating businesses in Greater Providence until June 27, 1961. 
g.   a French Art Nouveau bronze medallion featuring Marianne in a Gallia helmet, and the medallion was designed by the renowned French sculptor and medalist Pierre-Alexandre Morion. Marianne was the national personification of the French Republic, and her image represents liberty, strength, and patriotism. The medallion is marked “Bronze” on the outer rim, and measures 64 mm in diameter,  which brings a better value than smaller images. (Small pendants measuring between 25 and 40 mm bring $20 to $50, medium-sized ministry awards, generally about 50 mm in diameter, typically bring between $40 to $60, and larger bronzes like this bring between $90 and $150. 
Pierre-Alexandre Morion (1878 - 1951) was a highly influential French engraver whose Art Deco and Art Nouveau images were used on standard French currency during the 1930’s. The medallion was stuck by the French mint (La Monnaie de Paris), which is typically indicated by a cornucopia hallmark and the word “BRONZE” stamped along the outer rim, and the cornucopia hallmark and the word “BRONZE” are present here on the outer rim. 
h.  This rectangular Art Nouveau bronze plaque by Louis Octave Mattei features nude males singing the Marseillaise, France’s national anthem, and it apparently brought up themes of the French Revolution. Louis Octave Mattei (1877 - 1918) was a French sculptor who died in the first World War in 1918, and the naked men represented the French Republic rising up against a background of brick walls. The plaque comes in a hinged black case with a fold-over lid. 
i.  This bronze medallion commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Larkin Company, founded by John D. Larkin in Buffalo, N.Y. It was issued in 1925 to celebrate 50 years of business, spanning the years 1875 to 1925. The medal was created by Julio Kilenyi, who designed participation medals for the 1932 Olympics. The medallions were distributed to company employees to mark the golden jubilee anniversary of the company. 
The Larkin Soap Company was a highly successful mail-order and soap manufacturing empire based in Buffalo, and the backside of the medallion features the Larkin Company’s factory complex, which included an administrative building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The medallion measures 3 inches in  diameter, and the smaller ones go for about $17 each, while the 3-inch ones go for about $30 each. 

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