Hello!  My name is Spencer Radnich, and I am a "newbie" subscriber to this
list. I am not in academia, but am a numismatist with one of my collecting
and research interests being tokens and medals of the temperance and
prohibition movement.  The small brass medallet pictured above is 25mm in
diameter.  It is one of the more common types found today.

Please note the initials A. W. R. in the exergue of the reverse.  These
initials have been called "die sinker " initials in the numismatic
literature, but I believe that they are actually the initials of Ashbel
Wells Riley, who was a prominent temperance advocate in Rochester, NY from
about 1835 to 1855.  Riley is credited with having given over 8000
temperance addresses, and one reference states that he gave over 6000 pledge
medals to people who took the pledge at his meetings.

I am attempting to do research on these medals and on Riley that will:
1) Find hard evidence that these medals are the medals that Riley had minted
and gave out at his meetings.
2) Identify die varieties, die sinkers, probable dates of issue for each die
combination, and relative rarities for each combination.

I have recently learned that the Clement Library at the University of
Michigan has a large collection of  the personal papers of Riley and his
family.  I plan to go there next month.

Can any of you help with further information about Ashbel Riley, these
tokens, or the temperance movement in Upstate New York?

Many Thanks,
Spencer Radnich