Tunney, Gene

Commemorative Gold Medallion presented to Gene Tunney by the Philadelphia Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Association, designed and manufactured by Bailey, Banks & Biddle, Philadelphia, of curvilinear triangular form (2 7/8 in., 72 mm greatest height; 2 3/4 in., 69 mm greatest width, 7 oz. of 14 carat gold, set with 2 round diamonds (approx. 0.25 carets), the obverse with a central roundel depicting Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney in a boxing ring, wreathed at the bottom by laurel and oak leaves incorporating the seal of the City of Philadelphia, surmounted by a ribbon reading world's heavyweight championship | september 23, 1926 | sesqui-centennial stadium, the reverse depicting the Liberty Bell with legend The Sesqui-Centennial Exposition Philadelphia 1776 1926 150 Years of American Independence. Contained in original fitted presentation box, wood covered with thin blue morocco gilt; large portion of morocco lost.

Commemorative Gold Medallion presented to Gene Tunney by the Philadelphia Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Association, designed and manufactured by Bailey, Banks & Biddle, Philadelphia, of curvilinear triangular form (2 7/8 in., 72 mm greatest height; 2 3/4 in., 69 mm greatest width, 7 oz. of 14 carat gold, set with 2 round diamonds (approx. 0.25 carets), the obverse with a central roundel depicting Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney in a boxing ring, wreathed at the bottom by laurel and oak leaves incorporating the seal of the City of Philadelphia, surmounted by a ribbon reading world's heavyweight championship | september 23, 1926 | sesqui-centennial stadium, the reverse depicting the Liberty Bell with legend The Sesqui-Centennial Exposition Philadelphia 1776 1926 150 Years of American Independence. Contained in original fitted presentation box, wood covered with thin blue morocco gilt; large portion of morocco lost.
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A significant commemorative of Gene Tunney's upset of the Manassa Mauler. For his first bout after a three-year lay off, heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey was matched against Gene Tunney, who had recently moved up from the ranks of light heavyweights. The fight was planned for New York City, but the state boxing authority would only sanction a championship against the top-ranked contender, Harry Wills. The City of Brotherly Love, whose sesquicentennial celebration was foundering, stepped into the breach, with the promise of a big stadium and a big payday. It was during a training interview for this bout, with AP reporter Brian Bell, that Tunney first revealed his love of literary classics. The widely circulated story, in turn, led one of Dempsey's bodyguards to dismiss Tunney's chances against the champ: "Tunney, he reads books" (Cavanaugh. Tunney, p. xii). Tunney became the first heavyweight to win the championship by decision, winning all ten rounds on both judges' cards.