FIDELITY MEDAL AT THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM

It was a brisk late fall day when I traveled to the New York State Museum in Albany to see the Van Wart Fidelity Medal. The museum is located across Madison Avenue, on the south side of the Empire State Plaza. Here is the view from the entrance with the Corning Tower and The Egg. The New York State Capitol, with the red roof, is in the distance.

The museum is free to enter (donations requested) and there is a small parking lot available at $10 a day – or free after 2 pm. When I arrived, this lot was full, so I used my wiles to finagle street parking. I lived in this area of Albany when I went to law school, and I parked on a familiar side street (free for 2 hours).

 

Entering the main lobby, I knew the medal was in the West Corridor, and I was pleased to find that it was located so close to the entrance. You can see the display in the background in the center of the image taken from the vantage of the entrance doors.

 

The exhibit area is somewhat spartan. This didn't matter to me because I was thrilled just to be able to see it! However, I'm not a civilian museum visitor; after all, I'm a numismatist. The intent is apparently to spotlight the medal, as it is displayed on its own with just an explanatory placard.

There is a composition on the wall that gives some history.

 

Nearby are three links from Thomas Machin's Great Chain!

 

There is ambiance provided by David C. Lithgow's Charter Making mural.

 

The museum did not have restrictions on taking photos, except that there could be no flash photography. I am delighted that the medal is positioned in such a way as to make viewing the edge possible. This is the only original Fidelity Medal whose whereabouts are presently known. We should all be grateful for the benevolence of Rae Faith Van Wart Robinson in ensuring that the Van Wart Fidelity Medal is preserved and accessible. The New York State Museum website provides additional information and indicates that the medal will be on exhibit until the end of 2023.

 

For more information, see:
https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibitions/fidelity-medal

To view the complete image album on Flickr, see:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/albums/72177720313127438/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/coinbooks/albums/72177720313127438/)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
MUSEUM ACQUIRES VINCIT AMOR PATRIAE MEDAL (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n30a12.html)
WYATT COPY OF MAJOR ANDRE MEDAL OFFERED (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n42a28.html)

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