1919 Medal Johnson-34 Bronze Joan of Arc New York

Coin Details

Description

The 1919 Johnson-34 bronze medal honors Joan of Arc and her connection to New York City. The specific New York association relates to the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc by Anna Hyatt Huntington, which was dedicated on Riverside Drive at West 93rd Street in Manhattan on December 6, 1915. The medal may also reference the role of French-American solidarity during World War I, as Joan of Arc became a powerful symbol of French resistance and national identity that resonated deeply during the conflict with Germany. Cataloged as Johnson-34, this bronze medal belongs to the same reference series as the Peace of Versailles medal (Johnson-33), indicating a sequential numbering system for significant commemorative medals of the World War I era. The bronze composition indicates a piece intended for broader distribution than the limited-edition silver versions that typically accompanied these issues. Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XV on May 16, 1920, just a year after this medal's date, following centuries of veneration. The connection between Joan of Arc and New York reflected the deep cultural bonds between France and the United States that were strengthened by their wartime alliance. France had gifted the Statue of Liberty to New York in 1886, and the arrival of American troops in France in 1917 — with General Pershing's aide reportedly declaring "Lafayette, we are here!" — completed a circle of mutual assistance stretching back to the American Revolution.

Rarity Notes

Johnson-34 bronze medals were produced in limited commemorative quantities. Joan of Arc medals from the World War I era are collected by both numismatists and historians of French-American cultural relations.

Cross References

PCGS #862188; Johnson-34; Joan of Arc; Anna Hyatt Huntington sculpture, New York City