THE JOHN WANAMAKER MEMORIAL MEDAL

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V18 2015 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 18, Number 24, June 14, 2015, Article 21

Harry Waterson published an article on the John Wanamaker Memorial Medal in the May 2015 issue of The Clarion, a publication of the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN). He kindly passed along an excerpt for republishing here, with a question for E-Sylum readers. -Editor

This is a 1½-inch bronze medal with an integral loop issued to commemorate the life of John Wanamaker in 1923. The sculptor is unknown and there is no maker's mark.

Obverse: John Wanamaker (1838 – 1922) was a merchant, religious leader, civic and political figure, a proponent of advertising and a pioneer in marketing. Wanamaker was born in Philadelphia, PA. Oak Hall, the men's clothing store he started with his brother-in-law grew substantially based on Wanamaker's then-revolutionary principle: "One price and goods returnable." In 1869, he opened his second store and capitalizing on his own name (due to the untimely death of his brother-in-law), and growing reputation, he renamed the company John Wanamaker & Co. In 1875 he purchased an abandoned railroad depot and converted it into a large store, called John Wanamaker & Co. "The Grand Depot."

In 1889 Wanamaker began the First Penny Savings Bank in order to encourage thrift. That same year he was appointed Postmaster General by President Benjamin Harrison. Wanamaker was credited with introducing the first commemorative stamp and making many efficiencies to the Postal Service. He was the first to make plans for rural free delivery, although the plan was not implemented until 1897 ( four years after Wanamaker left office). Wanamaker opened his first New York City store in 1896 and continued to expand his business abroad with the European Houses of Wanamaker in London and Paris.

John Wanamaker was a Pennsylvania Mason. The John Wanamaker Masonic Humanitarian Medal was created by resolution of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania at the December Quarterly Communication of 1993. It is awarded to a person (male or female) who, being a non-Mason, supports the ideals and philosophy of the Masonic Fraternity. The recipient of this medal is one who personifies the high ideals of John Wanamaker - a public spirited citizen, a lover of all people and devoted to doing good.

Reverse: An 8-line quote signed by John Wanamaker with his facsimile signature: LET THOSE WHO / FOLLOW ME CONTINUE / TO BUILD WITH THE / PLUMB OF HONOR / THE LEVEL OF TRUTH / AND THE SQUARE OF / INTEGRITY EDUCATION / COURTESY AND MUTUALITY.

This inscription was written by Wanamaker himself as a guide for those who took over the business following his passing. The Working Tools of Masonry were obviously the building blocks for his instructions to future generations. Since the public would never see the capstone at the top of the building, these guidelines were also engraved into pillars in the main lobbies of both the New York and the Philadelphia stores with the lettering picked out in gold.

The pillar to the left is in the Grand Court of the Philadelphia store. It is nicely consistent that the layout of the quote on the pillar matches the back of the medal.

I was disappointed that I could not find the name of the artist who did the bust of Wanamaker on the medal I wrote about.

Archives International Auctions, Summer Auction 2015

The Rudolph P. Laubenheimer Family Archives

Sunday, June 25th, 2015

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