Lot of (15) Medals from Worlds Fairs and Expositions, 1856-1915. All Awarded to Lawson Valentines Companies for Excellence in Producing Fine Lacquers and Varnishes.Seven medals are in silver, the other eight in bronze. Included are 1856 50.5 mm, 54.1 gram silver medal of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association to Stimson Valentine & Co for Varnishes, White Lead and Zinc; (2) 1860 silver medals from the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanical Arts, both awarded to Stimson, Valentine & Co., both 51 mm, one for Samples of Varnishes, the other for a Case of Paint Brushes (39.0 grams and 49.5 grams); 1860 medal, this one by the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association to Stimson Valentine & Co for Superior Varnishes, 51 mm, 53.5 grams; 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, the 76 mm bronze award medal, uninscribed; 89 mm bronze award medal from the Agricultural Society of New South Wales to Valentine & Co of New York for Varnishes; 68 mm, 152 gram silver medal from the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878 awarded to Valentine & Co., marked ARGENT on the edge; 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition silver medal inscribed on the edge VALENTINE & CO. VARNISHES, 51 mm, 92.1 grams; 70 mm gilt bronze "Medaille DOr" from the 1883 Amsterdam International Exhibition, uninscribed; 1888 silver medal from the Centennial Exhibition in Melbourne inscribed to VALENTINE & CO. on the edge, 51 mm, 89.4 grams; and 63 mm bronze medal from the 1889 Worlds Fair in Paris. These (11) earliest-dated pieces are all in Extremely Fine condition, and most have been lovingly polished many times, bear assorted nicks and scratches, and several have edge nicks. The later medals, as follows, are all Mint State or very close, and have not been cleaned or polished. Included are: 1892 Worlds Columbian Exposition 76 mm bronze medal awarded to Valentine & Co. uninscribed 1894 bronze medal from the Antwerp International Exposition; 63 mm bronze medal awarded to Valentine Et Cie from the 1900 Paris Worlds Fair; and 71 mm gilt bronze uninscribed award medal from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 in San Francisco. This lot also includes (6) photocopied pages of information on Valentine and his company. A historic and important lot of award medals won by a well-known 19th century American manufacturing company.
