Quote from Pioneer on March 20, 2025, 10:06 pm

Nice medal Bruce.  The Charleston “West Indian Exposition” was held to stress that the port of Charleston was ideally situated as a point for trade between the southeastern United States and countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.  Held from December 2, 1901 to June 1, 1902 in today’s Hampton Park, the exposition featured numerous buildings, displays, statues, and electrical art illumination (dubbed the “Ivory City”).  A US Mint Exhibit was present, the Liberty Bell was on display in the Philadelphia building, and numerous of the “best” Federal exhibits from the 1901 Pan American Exposition were restaged.  Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Alaska all had buildings, with an “Eskimo” exhibit and imported cigars being popular.

Southern expositions sought to promote national re-integration and re-invigoration of Southern economies, with the liberty bell presence (previously displayed in New Orleans in 1884 and Atlanta in 1895) emphasizing the importance of national unity.  The official 33.7 mm medal (HK-294) for the exposition was designed and engraved by George Morgan, and struck in the US Mint Exhibit.   The obverse female figure of Winged Peace standing on a world globe, similar to an illustration in George Morgan’s sketchbook, with symbolism of freedom and embracing new challenges.   The image parallels the uplifted eagle wings on the Morgan dollar, which generally signifies freedom and liberation.  The reverse features cotton, corn, and tobacco, staples of the South, with George Morgan’s initial “M” on the ribbon.  The official medal, originally planned in gold, silver, and silver-plated brass, was ultimately issued in gilt bronze.