McNAMARA, Robert T. (1919-1995) medalist. Proprietor Heraldic
Art, manufacturer of medals, Cleveland, Ohio.
Full name: Robert Turner McNamara.
Born Cleveland, Ohio, 17 February 1919.
Established Heraldic Art, 1959, to create half dollar size
medals to fill need brought about by the suspen- sion of
commemorative half dollars by the U.S. Treasury.
After issuing his first three medals the Secret Service
demanded he desist since his medals were too close to
half dollar size (slug laws) despite his fineness of .925
fine versus U.S. coins .900 fine. He responded by
making his blanks a fraction of a millimeter thicker.
McNamara designed all of his medals, did engraving,
diesinking, blanking and striking himself. He used
the sculptural services of Walter Sinz (q.v.), also of
Cleveland, who prepared models that McNamara
reduced on a newly acquired Augenstein pantograph,
which he taught himself to use (and later sold to the
author DWJ). He issued over 70 medals in his
workshop in two decades.
Died Cleveland, Ohio, 19 November 1995.
B A D G E S E R I E S
American Numismatic Association Badges:
1964 A.N.A. 53th Convention Cleveland Medal (obv
designed by McNamara, rev & models by Walter
A. Sinz) . . . . . . . . . . MAco 1964-050, Harris 64.CB.53
Auctions:. . . . . . CAL 30:810; J&J 10:267, J&J 13:633,
J&J 16:1752, J&J 21:429, J&J 25:1440; PCA 46:1291,
PCA 65:1856
Collection: American Numismatic Society. . 1982.146.166
M E D A L S E R I E S
Heraldic Art Series:
1959 Alasta Statehood Medal (thin). . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 17:580, J&J 24:395
1959 Hawaii Statehood Medal (thick and thin varieties). . . 2
Auctions:. . . . . . J&J 8:1129, J&J 17:580, J&J 24:396
1959 Saint Lawrence Seaway Medal (thick, thin varieties). . 3
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 67:429
1960 Pony Express Medal (all thick) . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 67:430
1960 Boy Scouts 50th Anniversary Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 5
Auctions:. . . . CAL 32:2033, CAL 35:2364;
J&J 11:1058; J&J 21:1629, J&J 25:1600; PCA 67:431
1960 Pioneer Inventions Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Auctions:. . . . . J&J 11:1058, J&J 11:1060;
PCA 66:498, PCA 67:432
1961 Kansas Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 11:1058
1961 Civil War Centennial Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 11:1058
1961 Battle of Tippecanoe Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1962 Louisiana Statehood Medal. (30), . . . . . . . . . . 10
1962 "Old Ironsides" (U.S.S. Constitution) Medal. . . . . 11
Illustrated: P3 Coin World 3:131 (19 October 1962) p 82
1962 Girl Scouts 50th Anniversary Medal . . . . . . . . . 12
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 21:1629
1963 West Virginia Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1963 Battle of Lake Erie Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1963 New Jersey Tercentenary Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1964 Nevada Statehood Centennial Medal. . . . . . . . . . 16
1964 Saint Louis Bicentennial Medal . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1964 Marriage of Pocahontas Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1965 Saint Augustine Florids Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1965 Battle of Appomattox Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1965 Eli Whitney Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1966 Indiana Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1966 Great Eastern and Atlantic Cable Medal . . . . . . . 23
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 20:119
1966 Winfield Scott Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1967 Nebraska Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1967 Kosciuszko Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1967 Mississippi Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1968 New Orleans Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1968 Benjamin Silliman Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
1968 Illinois Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
1969 San Diego Bicentennial Portola Dragoon Medal . . . . 31
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 16:1140
1969 John Wesley Powell Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
1969 Transcontinental Railroad Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 33
1970 Charleston South Carolina Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 34
1970 Nathan B. Palmer Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
1970 Stephen Decatur Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
1971 Santa Fe Trail Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1971 Jimmy Doolittle Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
1971 First Thanksgiving Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
1972 Yellowstone National Park Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 40
1972 Florida Territory Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
1972 League of Six Nations Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
1973 Marquette and Joliet Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
1973 Monroe Doctrine Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
1973 1 7 7 3 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
1974 New Netherlands (settle Ports Orange & Nassau)
Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1974 Steel Century Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
1974 1 7 7 4 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
1975 Erie Canal Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
1975 Luther Burbank Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1975 1 7 7 5 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
1976 California Expoisitions and Settlements Medal. . . . 52
1976 Colorado Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
1976 1 7 7 6 Medal (Surprise at Trenton December 26)
Medal . . . . . . . . . 54
1977 Vermont Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
1977 Flag Day Centennial Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
1977 1 7 7 7 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
1978 La Salle Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
1978 Thomas A. Edison Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
1978 1 7 7 8 (Alliance with France) Medal. . . . . . . . . 60
Groups of less than 60 Heraldic Art Medals:
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . CAL 35:2178; J&J 7:416
Complete Set of 60 Medals:
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 9:375-376
M E D A L S
1961 Hammerskjold (Dag) Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . J&J 7:673, J&J 17:934, J&J 21:601
Illustrated: P3 Coin World 3:98 (2 March 1962) page . 2
1962 Project Mercury Telstar Medal. . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 7:673, J&J 25:1543
1963 Kennedy (John F.) Homage of the Nation Medal
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 8:1129, J&J 23:706
1964 Hoover (Herbert) Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1965 Stevenson (Adlai) Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 8:1129
1966 Eisenhower (Dwight D.) Medal . . . . . . . . . . . .
1971 Western Reserve Numismatic Society Golden Anniv Medal
1974 Daytona Beach Numismatic Club Medal. . . . . . . . .
1976 United States Bicentennial Medal . . . . . . . . . .
1976 Warrensville Coin Club Medal . . . . . . . . . . . .
19xx Washington (George) Named Commander in Chief Medal .
1976 Old Northfield Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19xx Exploration of the Mississippi Medal . . . . . . . .
19xx Boston Teaparty Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19xx Battle of Saratoga Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C O L L E C T I O N S
C10 {1972} Norton (30), p 21.
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 2:2148.
Px {1995} Cleveland Plain Dealer (22 November 1995) B8 [obituary].
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
S28 {1969} Harris 64.CB.53.
P4 {1997} Sanfilippo (Gino) "So Called Half Dollars," TAMS Journal 37:1 (January 1997) pp 17-21, illus.
Art, manufacturer of medals, Cleveland, Ohio.
Full name: Robert Turner McNamara.
Born Cleveland, Ohio, 17 February 1919.
Established Heraldic Art, 1959, to create half dollar size
medals to fill need brought about by the suspen- sion of
commemorative half dollars by the U.S. Treasury.
After issuing his first three medals the Secret Service
demanded he desist since his medals were too close to
half dollar size (slug laws) despite his fineness of .925
fine versus U.S. coins .900 fine. He responded by
making his blanks a fraction of a millimeter thicker.
McNamara designed all of his medals, did engraving,
diesinking, blanking and striking himself. He used
the sculptural services of Walter Sinz (q.v.), also of
Cleveland, who prepared models that McNamara
reduced on a newly acquired Augenstein pantograph,
which he taught himself to use (and later sold to the
author DWJ). He issued over 70 medals in his
workshop in two decades.
Died Cleveland, Ohio, 19 November 1995.
B A D G E S E R I E S
American Numismatic Association Badges:
1964 A.N.A. 53th Convention Cleveland Medal (obv
designed by McNamara, rev & models by Walter
A. Sinz) . . . . . . . . . . MAco 1964-050, Harris 64.CB.53
Auctions:. . . . . . CAL 30:810; J&J 10:267, J&J 13:633,
J&J 16:1752, J&J 21:429, J&J 25:1440; PCA 46:1291,
PCA 65:1856
Collection: American Numismatic Society. . 1982.146.166
M E D A L S E R I E S
Heraldic Art Series:
1959 Alasta Statehood Medal (thin). . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 17:580, J&J 24:395
1959 Hawaii Statehood Medal (thick and thin varieties). . . 2
Auctions:. . . . . . J&J 8:1129, J&J 17:580, J&J 24:396
1959 Saint Lawrence Seaway Medal (thick, thin varieties). . 3
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 67:429
1960 Pony Express Medal (all thick) . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 67:430
1960 Boy Scouts 50th Anniversary Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 5
Auctions:. . . . CAL 32:2033, CAL 35:2364;
J&J 11:1058; J&J 21:1629, J&J 25:1600; PCA 67:431
1960 Pioneer Inventions Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Auctions:. . . . . J&J 11:1058, J&J 11:1060;
PCA 66:498, PCA 67:432
1961 Kansas Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 11:1058
1961 Civil War Centennial Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 11:1058
1961 Battle of Tippecanoe Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1962 Louisiana Statehood Medal. (30), . . . . . . . . . . 10
1962 "Old Ironsides" (U.S.S. Constitution) Medal. . . . . 11
Illustrated: P3 Coin World 3:131 (19 October 1962) p 82
1962 Girl Scouts 50th Anniversary Medal . . . . . . . . . 12
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 21:1629
1963 West Virginia Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1963 Battle of Lake Erie Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1963 New Jersey Tercentenary Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1964 Nevada Statehood Centennial Medal. . . . . . . . . . 16
1964 Saint Louis Bicentennial Medal . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1964 Marriage of Pocahontas Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1965 Saint Augustine Florids Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1965 Battle of Appomattox Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1965 Eli Whitney Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
1966 Indiana Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
1966 Great Eastern and Atlantic Cable Medal . . . . . . . 23
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 20:119
1966 Winfield Scott Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1967 Nebraska Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1967 Kosciuszko Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1967 Mississippi Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1968 New Orleans Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1968 Benjamin Silliman Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
1968 Illinois Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
1969 San Diego Bicentennial Portola Dragoon Medal . . . . 31
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 16:1140
1969 John Wesley Powell Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
1969 Transcontinental Railroad Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 33
1970 Charleston South Carolina Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 34
1970 Nathan B. Palmer Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
1970 Stephen Decatur Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
1971 Santa Fe Trail Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
1971 Jimmy Doolittle Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
1971 First Thanksgiving Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
1972 Yellowstone National Park Medal. . . . . . . . . . . 40
1972 Florida Territory Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
1972 League of Six Nations Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
1973 Marquette and Joliet Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
1973 Monroe Doctrine Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
1973 1 7 7 3 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
1974 New Netherlands (settle Ports Orange & Nassau)
Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1974 Steel Century Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
1974 1 7 7 4 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
1975 Erie Canal Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
1975 Luther Burbank Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
1975 1 7 7 5 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
1976 California Expoisitions and Settlements Medal. . . . 52
1976 Colorado Statehood Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
1976 1 7 7 6 Medal (Surprise at Trenton December 26)
Medal . . . . . . . . . 54
1977 Vermont Statehood Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
1977 Flag Day Centennial Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
1977 1 7 7 7 Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
1978 La Salle Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
1978 Thomas A. Edison Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
1978 1 7 7 8 (Alliance with France) Medal. . . . . . . . . 60
Groups of less than 60 Heraldic Art Medals:
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . CAL 35:2178; J&J 7:416
Complete Set of 60 Medals:
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 9:375-376
M E D A L S
1961 Hammerskjold (Dag) Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . J&J 7:673, J&J 17:934, J&J 21:601
Illustrated: P3 Coin World 3:98 (2 March 1962) page . 2
1962 Project Mercury Telstar Medal. . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 7:673, J&J 25:1543
1963 Kennedy (John F.) Homage of the Nation Medal
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 8:1129, J&J 23:706
1964 Hoover (Herbert) Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1965 Stevenson (Adlai) Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 8:1129
1966 Eisenhower (Dwight D.) Medal . . . . . . . . . . . .
1971 Western Reserve Numismatic Society Golden Anniv Medal
1974 Daytona Beach Numismatic Club Medal. . . . . . . . .
1976 United States Bicentennial Medal . . . . . . . . . .
1976 Warrensville Coin Club Medal . . . . . . . . . . . .
19xx Washington (George) Named Commander in Chief Medal .
1976 Old Northfield Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19xx Exploration of the Mississippi Medal . . . . . . . .
19xx Boston Teaparty Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19xx Battle of Saratoga Medal . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C O L L E C T I O N S
C10 {1972} Norton (30), p 21.
B I O G R A P I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
BF2 {1999} Falk. Who Was Who in American Art, p 2:2148.
Px {1995} Cleveland Plain Dealer (22 November 1995) B8 [obituary].
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
S28 {1969} Harris 64.CB.53.
P4 {1997} Sanfilippo (Gino) "So Called Half Dollars," TAMS Journal 37:1 (January 1997) pp 17-21, illus.