The museum was situated on Wabash Avenue between 14th and 16th Streets. The enterprise proved a failure, however. The Libby Prison War Museum was torn down in 1899, according to information received from the Chicago Historical Society. The Coliseum was erected on the site. The prison wall on the Wabash Avenue is now incorporated in the facade of the Coliseum, all other material used having been disposed of.
The officers of the Libby Prison War Museum Association whose names appear on the medal, are identifiable from their advertisements on the covers of the Catalogue. The President, C. J. Gunther, was a confectioner who advertised his candies; the Vice President, L. Manasse, an optician; and the secretary-treasurer was a member of the law firm, Schuyler and Kremer, “attorneys at law and proctors in Admiralty.”
One would expect to learn that the medal was struck on some occasion connected with the Libby Prison War Museum, either on the completion of its rebuilding in Chicago or on its opening. This was, however, not the case. There is no other indication as to when the medal was executed except the year 1893 appearing on its reverse. It proves that the medal must have been struck in connection with the Columbian Exposition held in that year in Chicago. This is all that could be explored of its history.
Finally a token should be mentioned that refers to Civil War prisons, though indirectly only. It is representative of a whole group of similar tokens. In 1864-1865 a special committee of the United States Sanitary Commission published the gruesome results of an inquiry into the privations and sufferings of United States officers and soldiers during their war imprisonment. It aroused, of course, the public at that time. The United States Sanitary Commission, established in 1861, to cooperate with the army, arranged a series of great fairs, popularly termed “Sanitary Fairs,” in order to raise funds for the relief of sickness, the improvement of hospital sanitation, and the promotion of the health conditions among the armed forces in general. The Commission distributed during the war supplies to the value of fifteen million dollars, and funds amounting to five million more were received into its treasury, at least two-thirds of which were obtained from the numerous “Sanitary Fairs.” The first was held at Chicago in 1863, and many other cities followed.
Tokens of the kind of that pictured here as No. 8 were given to the “cheerful givers.” The obverse of No. 8 shows Washington’s head facing the right, at each side four stars, the legend being: GEO. WASHINGTON / PRESIDENT. The reverse has the following inscription in nine lines, the first three and last one curved: GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER / GREAT FAIR / IN AID OF THE / U. S. / SANITARY / COMMISSION / NANTUCKET / MASS. / AUGUST 1864. The size is twenty-four millimeters. Specimens were struck in silver, copper, brass, nickel, and tin.
No. 8
“Sanitary Fair” Token
To be sure, the present essay represents but a very modest contribution to the discipline of medallic history. If through the methodological approach of a specific problem it would aid in stimulating further research in this little cultivated field, the author would consider this a highly gratifying reward.