Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 125-132. (Budapest, 1989-1990)

ADATTÁR - DOCUMENTATIONS - Kovács-Csoma, Mária: Medals of Nobel laureates in the medal cabinet of the Semmelweis Museum of History of Medicine

nationality. Unfortunately, we don't have any medal with his portrait in our collection, however, we have the knowledge of the existence of such a medal. In the collection of Dr. Sonnenschein, a collector living in Los Angeles, there is a medal representing Robert Bárány and made in 1976 by José de Mows /bronze, 80 mm 0/. Richard Adolf Zsigmondy who was awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry 1925 has similarly a Hungarian name but has become Germanized. Of Hungarian birth and upbringing, György Hevesy as mentioned above as well as György Békésy were awarded the prize as foreign citizens. Later on we will be able to show you their medals. Jenő Wigner, a physicist living in the USA and awarded 1963 the Nobel prize in physics and Dénes Gábor, awarded the Nobel prize in physics in 1971 belong to the same category. As mentioned earlier, those awarded were entitled, beside money and a certificate, also to a gold medal of award. The medals of award to be distributed in Stockholm were made by the Swedish sculptor Erik Lindberg. The obverse is in all the four categories /physics, chemistry, medicine /physiology and literature/ the same: the portrait of Nobel, the years of Iiis birth and death. On the other hand, three representations on the reverse are known, and only the text of the quotation in the legend /from the 6th song of the Aeneis by Virgil/ are identical. On the award of the Nobel prize in literature we can see a sitting male nude, writing on a sheet of paper on his knee, opposite to him a figure in a toga is playing a lute. Donwstairs, on both sides of the space intended for the engraving of the name the abbreviation ACAD.SUEG. can be read. In the category for physics and chemistry the laureates obtain identical medals. On the back side of the medal two female fugures can be seen. The female figure with the wreath impersonating science is lifting the veil from the female figure symbolizing nature and holding a cornucopia. On both sides of the body the inscription NATURA SCIENTIA can be found. To the left and to the right of the space for engraving the name the abbreviations REG.ACAD. SCIENT. Sueg. can be read. For the award medal for medicine/physiology we are giving a full description of the obverse and the reverse. O/ Half-length protrait b. In the left field ALFR. /NOBEL. In the right field NAT./MDCCC/XXXni/ OB/MDCCC/XCVI. At the bottom E. LINDBERG 1907. R/ INVENTAS VITAM IUVAT EXCOLUISSE PER ARTES. In the centre a woman with a wreath is holding with lier right hand a small bowl under the water springing from a rock, with her left hand she is supporting a sick young girl. At the bottom, to both sides of the name-plate REG.UNIVERSITAS MED. CIIIR.CAROL. On the lefthand side there is a goblet with a snake, with below: E. LINDBERG Gold medal, 66 mm 207 g The medal of the Peace Award, to be awarded in Oslo, is the work of the Norvégián Gustav Vigeland. 67 + ALFR. NOBEL NAT MDCCCXXXIII OB MDCCCXCVI Head 1. R/ PRO.PACE.ET.FRATERNLTATE.GENTIUM In the middle three male figures are dancing interlaced. The rest of the data of the medal are, unfortunately, unknown to us. In our collection there is another medal which is in close connection with those previously mentioned. According to our knowledge it is awarded the members of the Nobel prize committee in medic ine/physic s

. O/ Half-length portrait b. In front of it ALFR NOBEL, on the righlhand side NAT/MDCCC/XXXIII/ OB./MDCCC/XCVI R/ INVENTAS VITAM .IUVAT — EXCOLUISSE PER ARTES In the middle the symbols of medical science: a stick with a snake, in front of it a bowl, ringwise a wreath of laurel. At the bottom, beside the stick E I Silver, 27 mm, lig Engraved in its edge-ring: MVJ SILVER 1963 As we can see, the material and the size of the medal are different from the previous ones, however, its obverse is entirely identical with that of the award medals already described. The circular legend on the reverse is identical, too. Further on we will enlist, in the chronological order of the awarding, those persons who have been