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johnsallay - Boston School Award Gorgets

Boston School Award Gorgets

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Description

These early 19th century gorget-shaped school award medals are apparently all from the Boston area, based on their relationship to documented Boston school medals, Boston family names and style of engraving. The gorget symbolizes esteem and honor, evoking the intent of the item of military paraphernalia that officers wore around their necks. In medieval times the gorget was a piece of protective armor, but it evolved over time to reference rank. Gorget-shaped award medals are extremely rare, with perhaps 8-9 known and all apparently from the Boston area. The Massachusetts Historical Society owns a similar piece from an early Boston family.

7 items

	Merit Gorget. Boston area, c.1810. Gold, hand engraved. 21.0mm × 30.9mm, 1.6 grams. Obverse: Merit. Reverse: Francis A. Adams.
	Good Scholarship Gorget. Boston area, c. 1810. Silver, hand engraved. 20.7mm × 37.4mm, 1.5 grams. Obverse: Good Scholarship, with three punched pointing hands. Reverse: AB in ornate script.
	Merit Gorget. Boston area, c. 1815. Silver, hand engraved. Obverse: Merit. Reverse: Elizabeth Wakefield.
	Unexceptionable Good Conduct Gorget. Boston area, c. 1820. Silver, hand engraved. Obverse: A reward for Unremitting attention to Study & Unexceptionable Good Conduct, within decorative border. Reverse: blank, with decorative border.
	Penmanship Gorget. Boston area, c. 1820. Silver, hand engraved. Obverse: Penmanship, within a decorative border. Reverse: Rowland Ellis, within a decorative border.
	Composition gorget. Boston, Massachusetts, 1825. Silver, hand engraved. Obverse: Composition. Reverse: H.D. 1825 (the initials of Helen A. Dorr, who also recieved a Boston City Medal dated 1829 which was acquired with this gorget).
	Grammar Gorget. Boston area, 1829. Silver, hand engraved. Obverse: Grammar, with underline. Reverse: Susan A Cumings 1829.