The Armenian settlement in the United States of America began in the late 19th century. However, the first Armenian lettered medallion was struck in 1944 by the Armenian Benevolent Union of Arabkir.
Obverse: Laureate picture of a woman sitting in front of a distaff and spinning, facing left. The inscription reads in Armenian “ԱՐԱԲԿԻՐԻ ՄԻՈՒԹԻՒՆ” (Union of Arabkir), below the date 1944.
Reverse: The inscription reads in Armenian “ՍԱՐԳԻՍ ՊՈԶԱՐՃԵԱՆ. ԼԻՆ, ՄԵՍ. ԲԱՐԵՐԱՐ ԱՆԴԱՄ” (Sargis Bozarjian, Lynn, Mass. Benefactor member). The medallion was struck in gold, 33 mm in diameter, 33.9 gm. This was the only medallion struck by the Union of Arabkir. It is kept in the History Museum of Armenia. Unfortunately, the writer has not been able to find out information about the artist.
S. Bozarjian’s medallion was probably prepared in one of the jewelry shops of New York. With its overall design and technique, it is not new in Armenian medallic art. Because of its singular nature and origin, it is an important monument for the Arabkir Union and Armenian American settlement history.
During 1968, four different medallions were dedicated to the consecration of St. Vartan Cathedral in New York City.
Obverse: St. Vartan Cathedral observed from the southwest. The inscription reads in Armenian “ՍԲ. ՎԱՐԴԱՆ ՄԱՅՐ ԵԿԵՂԵՑԻ ՀԱՅՈՑ – ՆՅՈՒ ԵՈՐՔ – ՆԱԽԱՍՏԱՏՈՒՄ – 1968” (St. Vartan’s Armenian Cathedral, New York, Consecration, 1968).
Reverse: The busts of Vartan Mamikonian and Mesrob Mashtots are pictured with their respective names underneath. Below is the picture of Holy Etchmiadzin against Mt. Ararat. At the top is the Armenian letter “է” (էություն = Being – God) and underneath a dove. Around the medallion, the inscription is from an Armenian hymn “ՄԻԱԾԻՆՆ Ի ՀՕՐԵՑԻ ԼՈՅՍ ՓԱՌԱՅ ԸՆԴ ՆՄԱ ԵՒ ԾԱԳԵԱՑ ՄԵՂԵՐ ԼՈՅՍ Ի ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ ԱՇԽԱՐՀԻ” (The only begotten came down and light shone unto us in the land of Armenia).
The artist is John Hovhannes. The medallion is made of bronze, 65 mm in diameter, 133.80 gm. In addition to the bronze, 26 medallions were issued in gold, with the same design but 40 mm in diameter. The silver copies of the medallions also have 40 mm diameter and 35.20 gm weight. It is interesting to note that the same silver medallion also has an English text.
Obverse: ST. VARTAN’S ARMENIAN CATHEDRAL – NEW YORK – CONSECRATION – 1968
Reverse: “THE ONLY – BEGOTTEN CAME DOWN … AND LIGHT SHONE UNTO US IN THE LAND OF ARMENIA.”
This medallion also has 40 mm diameter and 34.85 gm weight. Dr. P. Z. Bedoukian prepared the original sketch for both sides of these medallions. The reverse text, a section of a hymn, was chosen by Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan.
The medallic sculpture of St. Vartan Cathedral is a very successful reproduction of an Armenian architectural monument. The cathedral is pictured with complete majesty. The artist has remained faithful to the overall details of the church and with an expressive individual approach represents in miniature this beautiful edifice.
The centennial of Komitas’s birth was observed with a series of medallions issued in honor of this great composer throughout the world. The Armenian Diocese of America also initiated a medallion dedicated to Komitas.
Obverse: The bust of Komitas is pictured. The Armenian inscription around it reads “ԿՈՄԻՏԱՍ ՎԱՐԴԱՊԵՏ – ՀԱՐԻՒՐԱՄԵԱԿ ԾՆՆԴԵԱՆ” (Komitas Vardapet – Centennial of Birth). Left and right of the picture “1869-1969”. Underneath the picture is the name of the artist in Armenian “Ա. ԱԳՈՊՈՖՖ” (A. Agopoff).
Reverse: In the upper part of the field is a musical emblem made of harp, horns, and branches. Below the emblem is a small section from the “Good Morning” song in musical notes. Then two verses from the same song:
“Առաւոտուն բարի լոյս” (Morning good light)
“Աստուած պահէ ամենուս” (God save us all)
Below in the field, against Mt. Ararat, is an Armenian village with churches. In front is a farmer plowing the land with his team of oxen. The inscription reads “KOMITAS CENTENNIAL – ARMENIAN FOLK MUSIC”. In the field to the right is the name of the artist: “A. AGOPOFF Sc.” The medallion is produced in New York from silver (34.45 gm) and bronze (29.06 gm), and a few examples in gold. They all have 38 mm diameter.
Komitas is pictured with a high forehead and without a hood. His nose and beard are sculpted with delicate lines. Here the artist has presented Komitas as a small monumental masterpiece and not just a piece of bronze. Komitas is represented as penetrating, farsighted, and a man of vision who knows no defeat but how to overcome obstacles on the road to victory. The facial carving of Komitas on Agopoff’s medallion has received a new quality and manifest, endeavoring to become one of the finest examples of Armenian medallic art.
With the initiation of Dr. P. Z. Bedoukian, during 1973 medallions were struck in New York City to observe the 75th anniversary of the Armenian Diocese.
Obverse: The Coat of Arms of The Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. The Armenian inscription reads “75-ՐԴ ՏԱՐԵԴԱՐՁ ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆ ԱՌԱՋՆՈՐԴՈՒԹԵԱՆ ՀԱՅՈՑ ԱՄԵՐԻԿԱՅԻ” (75th Anniversary of the Armenian Diocese of America).
Reverse: A cross with four arms. To the left of the cross is the 1898 church of Worcester. To the right of the cross is the 1968 cathedral of New York City. The inscription on the ribbon around the cross reads “1898 WORCESTER MASS – ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL NEW YORK 1973”. Around the medallion, the inscription reads “75th ANNIVERSARY FOUNDING OF THE DIOCESE OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH OF AMERICA”. In the field to the left are the Armenian initials “Տ. Տ.” (Tigran Tingilian).
The medallion is produced in gold (5 copies), silver (53.20 gm), and bronze (44.10 gm). They all have 45 mm diameter. The composition of both sides of the medallion is well filled with script and pictures in good taste. This work is the continuation of Armenian medallions struck in America. They all are created far from Armenia, but all of them have preserved the Armenian heritage extremely well in spite of the fact the American medallic art technology has left its influence on all of them.
No doubt, the initiative of Dr. P. Z. Bedoukian, which has created the last three types of medallions, will become a good tradition, and future artist scholars will have the opportunity to examine and study a new direction in Armenian medallic art tied to the history of Armenian settlements in the United States of America.
Sarkissian, Henry “Armenian Medallions Produced in America.” Armenian Numismatic Journal Series I, vol. 1, issue 1, pp. 13-18, 1975.
References:
- A. G. Abrahamyan, Brief Outline of the History of Armenian Settlements, Yerevan, 1967, Volume 2, page 348.
- H. Sarkissian, Two Armenian-Lettered Medals of the Armenian-American Community, Bulletin of Yerevan University, Yerevan, 1972, 1(16), pages 241-242.
- S. Bozarjian was born in 1870 in Arabkir (Western Armenia). In 1896, he moved to Lynn, USA, where he lived until his death in 1966. From 1938, for his services to the Arabkir Union, he was awarded a named medal in 1944, which was given by the decision of the general assembly of the Arabkir Union. One year after S. Bozarjian’s death, the 40th general assembly of the Arabkir Union decided to transfer the medal to the History Museum of Armenia (New Arabkir Magazine, 1937, No. 13; 1944, No. 24).
- H. Sarkissian, Two Armenian-Lettered Medals of the Armenian-American Community, Bulletin of Yerevan University, Yerevan, 1972, 1(16), pages 242-243.
- It should be noted that the letter forms on sides A and B of the medal are taken from K. Tiraturian’s book The Armenian Script (Yerevan, 1963), see pages 8 and 10.
- H. Sarkissian, Miniatures with Komitas’s Image, Lraber, Social Sciences, Yerevan, 1973 1, pages 95-100.
- Komitas, Choruses, Yerevan, 1969, page 23.