ISKOWITZ MEDAL DESIGN HONORS MICKEY MARCUS

The American Israel Numismatic Association has issued art medals honoring Mickey Marcus, an American hero of Israel's War of Independence. Only 120 2-inch bronze high relief medals have been minted, including just 10 Artist's Proofs that are accompanied by illustrated certificates personally signed by the medal's designer Joel Iskowitz, who has created over 50 designs for coins and medals issued by the U.S. Mint. The cost of the regular bronze medal is $50, and the Artist's Proof is $85. Mention that you read about this in The E-Sylum, and you can take a 20% discount. To order, call 818-225-1348.

The obverse of the medal features a portrait of David Daniel "Mickey" Marcus as a 1924 graduate of West Point. During World War II, Marcus organized and commanded a Ranger Combat Training School, and later parachuted into Normandy on D-Day with the first wave of the 101st Airborne Division. In 1946, he was named chief of the Army's War Crimes Division in Washington, planning legal and security procedures for the Nuremberg Trials and the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal.

On May 28, 1948 Marcus was appointed Aluf ("general") by David Ben-Gurion, and was given command of the Jerusalem front. Marcus built the "Burma Road to Jerusalem" - a makeshift winding road through difficult hill terrain (pictured on the medal's reverse); it was opened to vehicles on June 10, breaking the siege of Jerusalem. Sadly, shortly after, Marcus was accidentally shot to death by a sentry, when he failed to give the password. Marcus' story was told in the 1966 motion picture, "Cast a Giant Shadow," starring Kirk Douglas.

For more information on the American Israel Numismatic Association, see:
http://www.theshekel.org/

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