Usc - Univ. Southern California Seal Or Medal/Token?

Not sure how you'd find another seal, or a depiction of one current in 1908.
Just wanted to tell you that this looks like the college crests that were
affixed to mugs and steins. On covered steins, these were often used at
the top of the lid, whereas on uncovered mugs, whether pewter or "china,"
this would be the main device at front center...size looks about right.
I have a couple of hundred antique college & university (and fraternity
& sorority) mugs & steins in my collection, so I'm handling them all the time.
Send me your e-mail address if you want a photo or two to illustrate what
I have in mind...mugster at nycap dot rr dot com.
Best ~
Tom
(A USC student 40 years ago!)

Hi again, Jen ~

Got your e-mail too. Will photograph a few of these later today.

It's pretty widespread university protocol (I've deaned in three)for the school
to maintain its ownership of or control over the official seal but to allow use
of less formal renditions of it for associated purposes. As examples, the
official seal might appear only on diplomas and transcripts (representing
the "core mission," after all), while other versions - known as crests,
escutcheons, etc. - would be used on various forms of memorabilia, awards,
departmental letterhead stationery, etc.

In the case of most modern colleges and universities, you'd be able to confirm this by
just visiting the campus bookstore, where you'd find mugs, captain's chairs, boxer shorts,
and all manner of souvenirs adorned with the institution's crest, but then check out
a diploma and you'll find the seal dripping with Latin legends, often starting with the
word "sigillum," which translates as "seal," of all things.

Yours might well be the official seal for its era. And sure, colleges would permit,
and even use, abbreviations, on their seals, just as monarchs would on their coins,
as in "D.G.," "Fid Def," "Ind Imp," etc.

So, this one could go either way...but I do believe I've nailed its original
purpose in that it's an awful lot like what you'd expect to find on an old
mug, or maybe a plaque/award of some sort, mounted on wood.

Back later ~
Tom

Okay, Jen...I'm back again.

Will spread photos and commentary out over a few different posts,
since my connectivity's not as stable as it should be lately.

First, here's the group of four mugs that signed up for today's seminar.
Note their medallions. Michigan's is on top. Close-ups to follow.

From left to right, we have;
Dartmouth (Dragon Club, 1937)
Michigan (Generic campus view, 1910-1920)
Harvard (Law Society, 1936)
Yale (Invitational Tournament Pole Vaulting, 2nd-place trophy, 1896)

The legends on the Dartmouth and Yale mugs (above) both start with an abbreviation
for the Latin word for seal, "sigillum," so we know we're looking at the real thing.

The last two, Harvard & Michigan, appear below.





In the case of the Harvard Law Society, which was a student organization founded in 1907,
the only device its crest had in common with the College's, was the central shield with
the word "Veritas" (Latin for "truth") spread out over three open books or tablets.
The gavel and its platform, the founding date, and the banner at the bottom, which
bears the words "Pro Bono Universitatis," were unique to the Law Society but were
not part of the official seal of Harvard College, or the Law School's, for that matter..

I saved Michigan's medallion for last because I think yours from SC most closely
resembles this one. By the way, this version is identical to the school's official
seal in use from 1895-1929. Anyway, the eccentric edge scalloping is my big clue.
I can't tell from your photos, but if your example from SC is distended forward in the
center, but evenly around its entire circumference, that would be a characteristic
of a top-mounted medallion, like mine from Michigan. The others are all curved
from the sides only, since they were applied to the fronts of their mugs.
If yours is flat, I'd guess it's still a decorative medallion, but one that
was used on a plaque, the base of a trophy, or some other form of award or
memorabilia.

Other forum members may have more ideas for you, Jen, but you'll probably get
a wider response if you move the topic out of the "welcome to newbies" thread
and into the exonumia area.

Go Trojans!
Tom

Hi Tom thanks so much for the information and photos - I really appreciate it

My question is (if you don't mind another question haha) how would I confirm the date of this USC piece - as the new USC seal has the 1880 date on top where as the 1880 date on my item is located on the bottom of the piece - like the 1908 version thanks again Jen

.....a bit off topic, but it slightly related to daltonista's post above. I found this forum trying to locate information on what I now know is a Harvard Law Society mug.

Is there a group that collects these mugs, or any way of finding a value. Mine is almost like daltonista's but a 1932 model from a man who ended up "working for" Harry S. Truman. I also have a mug that the same man won in a canoe race in 1927.

Thanks for any info. This is a most interesting site, I'm not a coin collector, but still found it interesting, especially the photo tips.
Don

Tom, I set my preferences to accept email, or I can post one here briefly. thanks
Don