Phillips.] J-*'- 1 [Feb. 7, 



The present exhibition is composed of the collections of coins and medals 

 belonging respectn ely to the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Ameri- 

 can Philosophical Society, and the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of 

 Philadelphia, under the care of whicb latter Society the collections have 

 been deposited and arranged by a Committee, of which I am the Chairman. 

 A few private individuals have also contributed to the exhibition. 



The display may be divided into three great heads, viz: (Joins, medals 

 and tokens (embracing jettons), to the main features of which I shall 

 briefly advert, beginning for convenience sake with the second general sub- 

 division. 



The case containing the medals of the Societies is a flat one of five trays 

 on the western wall of the main hall of the building to the right of the 

 entrance of the India room. They are of gold, silver, copper, bronze, brass 

 and lead. The first, series to be noticed is one consisting of thirt3'-one 

 bronze medals of large sizes, commemorating victories and notable events 

 in the history of the empire of Russia, from the lime of Peter the Great to 

 that of Catharine the second. They are all of very high relief, and bear for 

 the most part on their obverse the nude bust of that Empress, exhibiting 

 her as a young woman, and as time passes on showing the alterations it 

 has caused in her appearance. 



There are silver medals given by Kings George First and Second to the 

 North American Indians, usually worn by the sachems as gorgets, and in- 

 terred with them at their decease. 



The one which bears the head of King George the Second is stated, in 

 Vaux's life of Anthony Benezet, to have been cut in America, and is es- 

 pecially worthy of notice on that account, as having been the first medal 

 ever made in this country. It is cut in very bold style, although the re- 

 verse is decidedly stiff of execution. The obverse bears the bust of King 

 George the Second, with his titles, the reverse a Quaker seated on the 

 ground is receiving from (or handing to) an Indian the calumet of peace ; 

 around is the inscription, "Let us look to the most high who blessed our 

 lathers with peace." 



Another silver gorget bears on the obverse an antique view of the city of 

 Montreal, on the reverse engraved the word "Mohigrans," and in script 

 the name Tangran, being probably the appellation of the chieftain to whom 

 it had been presented. 



The Indian medal of George the First bears on the reverse an Indian, 

 armed with a bow and arrow, taking aim at a stag. 



A series of well executed medals represents scenes in the lives of Louis 

 XV., Louis XVI. , Marie Antoinette. Lord Howe, Lord Cornwallis, Suwar- 

 row, and others. There arc fine medals of Rousseau, Lafayette, Liebnitz, 

 Gauss, Thiersch, R. M. Patterson, David Rittenhouse, Berzelius, Charles 

 XII., of Sweden, Louis XVIII. , Napoleon (commemorating the introduc- 

 tion of vaccination), Napoleon and Josephine (accolated), Marquis of Gran- 

 by, Earl Kiidarc, one commemorating the millenial anniversary of the 

 Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, one of King Augustus of Poland, and 

 other celebrated persons and events. 



