1859 New York College of Physicians and Surgeons (Columbia College) Harsen Award Medal. Copper Electrotype, 91 mm. By Charles Muller. Storer 1471. About Uncirculated.，Light surface corrosion at upper obverse and upper reverse, not unusual for these original oversize medals, produced in electrotype form by Muller, a production format that he utilized for all of his medals. In fact, some of the leaden center is exposed along the edge. On obverse is a masterful left-facing bust of Jacob Harsen, the reverse based on an actual photo and showing a clinical group, with a physician (presumably Harsen) at the foot of a patients bed, a wonderful if somewhat static composition of a more animated event. This reverse shows an ornate lathe pattern around its periphery. Harsen endowed this academic prize, originally intended as a gold medal of the value of $50, then modified to add a prize of a silver medal with $50, and a bronze medal with $25. This plan was further modified to give only bronze medals, but vary the prize money prize to $175, $50 and $25 for the 3 prize levels. The resulting bronze electrotype medals are very rare and come in both thick and thin forms, and sometimes have the awardees name engraved on the edge.
