The New York City Public Schools’ Athletic League gold medal presented to Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, U.S. Navy

New York City Public Schools’ Athletic League, gold medal, by Dieges and Clust, New York, obv. Winged Goddess of Samothrace in a panel dividing the date 1930, rev. engraved in six lines ‘Achievement through Fitness, Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Inaugural Award by the Public Schools Athletic League’, 68mm, 18 carat, 109.7g., in its fitted presentation case, extremely fine £2200-2600

Ex-Sotheby, November 1988.

Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, United States Navy, was one of America's most distinguished pioneers of long distance flight and polar exploration. Having completed the first flight over the North Pole in May 1926, for which he received the Congressional Medal of Honour, Byrd determined to make the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic ocean from west to east. With two companions, Byrd took off from New York in the Fokker trimotor “America” on the 29 June, 1927 and, after 42 hours in the air, reached the coast of France and crash landed at Ver-sur-Mer in Brittany. Byrd and his two companions were given a hero's welcome in New York with an official reception by the Mayor who presented Byrd with the Medal of Valour. In recognition of his outstanding achievements Byrd received a great number of official and Society awards.