Commems Collection Medals: 1979 Thomas Edison - Light Centennial

Here's the second of three Thomas Edison medal posts I'm planning...

The first installment of my Edison series can be found here:

- 1947 Thomas Edison Centennial - So-Called Half Dollar


While there is debate over the inventor of the light bulb - Edison or one of several other previous or contemporary researchers/inventors (e.g., Alessandro Volta, Humphrey Davy, Warren de la Rue, Joseph Swan) - Edison did submit a US patent application for his light bulb in 1879. It was granted, and Edison and his team went on to manufacture the first commercially practical and successful incandescent light bulb.

To help mark the 100th Anniversary of Edison's bulb, the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation, Inc. ("Foundation") commissioned a high-relief commemorative medal. The designs for the medal were created/sculpted by artist-sculptor Mico Kaufman.

The obverse presents a right-facing portrait of Edison with the inscription "CENTENNIAL OF LIGHT" in an arc above the portrait (near the rim). Behind Edison's portrait (to the viewer's left) is seen the Foundation's Centennial of Light logo/emblem.

The medal's reverse design is a depiction of the lighting of the first Edison incandescent light bulb at Edison's lab in Menlo Park, NJ. Above the scene (at the rim) is the inscription "THOMAS ALVA EDISON" and below (at the rim) is the inscription "WIZARD OF MENLO PARK".

Tracking down details about the roots of the Thomas Alva Edison Foundation, Inc. proved to be more of a task than I anticipated. From what I've found, it appears the group dates back to circa 1935. It was established to preserve and protect the legacy of Thomas Edison, and support others who share Edison's spirit of inventiveness. It is currently registered as a non-profit corporation with offices in Washington, DC.

The high-relief bronze medal measures 70.05 mm in diameter (~2.77 inches); it weighs 210 gram (~7.4 ounces). The medal was available beginning in April/May 1979, at an issue price of $17.50 + $1.50 shipping and handling; discounts were available for volume orders. The medal was struck by Medallic Art Company, Inc. (MACO) - at that time, located in Danbury, Connecticut - for The Village Mint.

It appears that The Village Mint was a marketing entity vs. an actual mint. The medals it marketed were struck by others, including MACO. The Village Mint went out of business in 1981; it was incorporated in August 1976. The Edison - Centennial of Light medal was likely among its last major projects. (I'll be posting about other The Village Mint medals - including one for the Ford Motor Company - in the near future.)

Thomas A. Edison - Centennial of Light Medal


Thomas A. Edison - Centennial of Light Medal - Box Lid w/ Facsimile Signature


Thomas A. Edison - Centennial of Light Medal - Leaflet




For a bit more on Edison, and a look at the 1947 medal that marked the Centennial of Edison's birth, see:

- 1947 Thomas Alva Edison - So-Called Half Dollar


For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, including a couple on the 2004 Thomas Edison US Silver Dollar, see: Commems Collection.