The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 32, August 10, 2003, Article 16

EARLY REFERENCE TO ERIE CANAL MEDALS

  Ed Krivoniak sends the following contemporary newspaper
  item from the American Traveller, Vol 1, No. 85 (April 25,
  1826):

  "Canal Medals.--We have seen one of the Medals struck in
  honor of the Canal celebration by order of the Corporation
  of New-York  On one side is Pan's visit to Neptune--with
  cornucopia, distant view of the ocean, light house, &c. with
  the inscription--"Union of Erie with the Atlantic."  On the
  reverse, are the arms of the state ; on the right the
  representation of the canal, with its locks, and on the left the
  city of New York.  The medal was designed by Archibald
  Robertson, and engraved by C.C. Wright, and struck by
  Pelletreu.  The whole is neat and appropriate.  The medals
  struck on composition will be presented to all the invited
  guests of the corporation ; silver ones will be transmitted to
  the President, Heads of Departments, Foreign ministers,
  Governors of States, &c.  It is with great pleasure we learn
  that three gold medals will be transmitted to the surviving
  signers of the Declaration of Independence.--New York pap."

  [A web search turned up an extract from the Buffalo Journal,
  Nov. 29, 1825, describing the ceremony for the completion
  of the canal, along with the detailed legislation indicating
  who was to receive an example of the medal.

  "The boat arrived in our harbor, from the Atlantic, on
  Wednesday the twenty-third instant, after a pleasant and
  quick passage, laden with a rich cargo of merchandize from
  New York, having on board a goodly number of passengers,
  a healthy crew, and an elegant keg filled with water taken from
  the "briny deep," which was presented by the Corporation of
  New York to the citizens of this village, for the purpose of
  being mingled with the waters of Lake Erie. This keg was
  handsomely ornamented with the arms of the city, over which
  were the words, in letters of gold "Neptune's Return to Pan,"
  and under the same, the words "New York, 4th Nov. 1825."
  Upon the other side of the keg were the words "Water of the
  Atlantic."

  After welcoming the return of the boat, with the Buffalo
  Committee, it was resolved that the ceremony of mingling the
  waters should take place on Friday, the twenty-fifth instant.
  On that day a large and respectable number of ladies and
  gentlemen, with the village band of music, repaired on board
  the boat, at the upper dock, and were towed from thence
  through the basin into the Lake, by several yawl boats, which
  were politely furnished by the masters of the different vessels
  then lying at the wharves. At ten o'clock, A.M. the ceremony
  of mingling the waters under a salute from Captain Crary's
  artillery, was performed by Judge Wilkeson..."

  http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/colden/
  http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/colden/App19.html
  http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/whitford/1906/j02-06.html

  Another search turned up some information on the medal's
  designer, Archibald Robertson:
  http://www.artnet.com/library/07/0724/T072415.asp

  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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