Original design for USN & USMC Yangtze Service Medal and USMC Expedition Medal

[Adam R]

I just came across this proposed design for the Yangtze Service medal while going through my cache of USN correspondence from the National Archives in Washington. It appears to be a photograph of an actual plaster model. It’s interesting to see how the final design that was actually used is so different from what was originally proposed.

 

 

[Alec]

I've got a similar drawing for the original Fleet Service Medal and how it ended up being changed. Also correspondence as to which artist was recommended by the Arts Commission to Design the medal. Pretty cool stuff from that time period.

[Dirk]

Adam thank you for sharing that bit of info!

[medalworld]

This was an interesting find. The archives must have so much great stuff hidden away, just waiting to be re-discovered.

 

The Yangtze proposed model (plaster) has an interesting motif, but the authorities chose correctly when they picked the Chinese junk as the main device for the medal. What can be more representative of service on the Yangtze River than an actual junk plying the Yangtze's waves? It's a simple yet exemplary design, one of my favorite US medals.

 

I see designer's initials on the unaccepted design...JSR. I suspect these are for John Ray Sinnock, who became Assistant Chief Engraver at the US Mint in 1923. Sinnock was also involved with the design of the Purple Heart in 1932.

 

For a biography and picture of Sinnock with some other large plasters of his work and examples of his many coin designs, see further information at this link:

 

http://www.usacoinbook.com/encyclopedia/coin-designers/john-r-sinnock/

 

Keep those US medal patterns coming...they're fascinating!

[medalworld]

P.S. I just noticed Sinnock's initials on the issued Yangtze medal, at the right of the Art Deco inspired waves, so his design was accepted!

[Alec]

It was actually the Expeditionary medal.

[Brig]

That's a really neat design, too, though I agree the junk version is better representative. Still, would love to see an actual struck sample, if they made a mold, I imagine they struck some samples for review

[kanemono]

This is a very, very interesting thread, Thanks Adam and Alex for the images of the original designs. I think it is very important to know how medal designs were created. Today almost everything is done on a computer, from creating the design to cutting the dies. Before the advent of the computer almost every aspect of the creation of a medal was done by hand by talented artists and craftsmen. Creating a medal from beginning to end was a very lengthy and expensive process.

Dick

[Alec]

Adam, an interesting document here if it shows up well enough after reducing the size.

[Alec]

Initial sketch of the expeditionary medal

[Alec]

more

[Alec]

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[kanemono]

Thank all of you for the pictures and letter. Please keep the information coming. I think it is fascinating!

Dick

[Brig]

Dang, I like that one of them storming the beach. They should have went with that design

[Wharfmaster]

Dang, I like that one of them storming the beach. They should have went with that design

 

Me Too !

[SgtMaddoxUSMC]

Some of these alternate designs are awesome! I agree with Brig on that beach design!

[usmedalman]

Great topic and some intriguing sketches of proposals. It is interesting the Yangtze Service Medal actually made it all the way to having an artist sculpt the plaster model before the design was changed. Are those initials below the gate JSR? I assume this was the artist's initials.

[usmedalman]

15 minutes ago, usmedalman said:

Great topic and some intriguing sketches of proposals. It is interesting the Yangtze Service Medal actually made it all the way to having an artist sculpt the plaster model before the design was changed. Are those initials below the gate JSR? I assume this was the artist's initials.

Oops, my mistake, that is John R. Sinnock's monogram.

[Fromthepastcollections]

On 5/2/2014 at 11:10 PM, Alec said:

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This proposed version would have been an Incredible choice