1842 Croton Aqueduct Completion Medals
Begun in 1837 and completed in 1842, the Croton Reservoir and Aqueduct and it's distribution system in the city of New York was the largest engineering project in this country at the time. Robert Lovett Sr. was commisioned to produce medals to be awarded at the celebration held on October 14th, 1842. Engraved silver medals were struck to be presented to the 17 Alderman as well as other dignitaries. How many of these were produced I have yet to determine. Bronze and white metal versions were also produced and again I do not have any information on the number struck. All are fairly scarce.
The medals are approximately 51mm in diameter with the bronze version being thicker than the silver and white metal. One face shows a cutaway of a portion of the aqueduct with statistics about the size and flow rate. The other face depicts the Murray Hill Distributing Reservoir with a city scene in the background and facts about the capacity of the system below. This Distributing Reservoir sat on the site of what is now the New York City Public Library. They are beautiful examples of the engraver's art.
Silver Medal for General Hopkins, Grand Marshal |
