Hilton trophy medal

[45govt]

Hello
Found this recently, A small medal of the Hilton Trophy, this one about the size of a silver dollar.
I copied and pasted a little info from the CMP website, there is not much on the interwebs on it I will try to go back through some old Army Navy Journals we I get a chance.


The Honorable Henry Hilton of New York donated the Hilton Trophy to the National
Rifle Association in 1878. When it was first placed in competition, teams from the
Army, Navy, National Guard and Reserves, as well as militia and volunteers of foreign
countries, could compete for it. In 1903, when the National Board for the Promotion of
Rifle Practice (NBPRP), the predecessor to the CMP, was created the NRA transferred
the Hilton Trophy to the NBPRP so that it could be awarded during the new National
Trophy Matches. That year when the first National Matches were conducted at Sea Girt,
New Jersey and for several years after, the trophy was presented to the second place team
in the National Trophy Rifle Team Match. Subsequently, the Hilton Trophy remained in
the National Trophy Collection, but later was presented to the high state National Guard
team and subsequently to the high Reserve Component team.
In its original form, the Hilton Trophy was a bronze and steel plaque approximately
forty-five inches wide and fifty-six and one-half inches tall. The Honorable Henry Hilton
paid Tiffany & Co. of New York $5,500 to design and fabricate the original trophy.
When the trophy was completed in 1879, The Spirit of the Times described the trophy
this way:
The trophy itself is a unique work, and possesses many attractive qualities
to commend it to connoisseurs and art lovers, apart from its higher
interest as an emblem of victory. The form is that of a shield, an irregular,
oblong shape, drooping like a curtain. The center presents a superb
picture, in repoussé steel, of an Indian buffalo hunt. In the foreground
three Indian riders, mounted on their spirited ponies are pursuing with
bow and lance the leaders of a herd of buffaloes, which extends in
interminable numbers, far away in the distance. The action of horse and
rider is admirably expressed, and the headlong fright and fury of the
hunted brutes shown with striking reality….The whole design is
surmounted by a sculpted eagle, and in the detail of the ornament, silver,
copper, gold, and the new Japanese metal [mokume], which has lately
been developed, here are successfully employed.

[John S.]

That is neat! I had never seen one, although I had heard the name in reports on the National Matches.

I found three listings for similar items, two for eBay and one other source. One has a red/white/blue ribbon and bar with a CAPTAIN bar, so apparently these were issued to the members of the winning team. The details of the suspension vary on each of the three examples. None seemed to have any recipient names on the back which would help date them.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/156299297642

[FrankD]

Great information!! I am currently researching Creedmoor medals.

[45govt]

Like this?

[FrankD]

Yes, that is it. I lost the opportunity to buy one on ebay. I hope I can find a Creedmoor medal for my collection. Thank you for sharing the picture!

[kenneth]

Does the trophy still exist?

[Tom Trevor]

Kenneth, Yes it part it still exists. For many years the winner took it home for a year and returned it for the following years matches. From time to time it suffered damage and Tiffany and company would repair it and bill the NRA. It was damaged and parts lost so it was assembled on a large board 40 inches by seven foot tall. You can find pictures of its current condition thru on line search. Hope this helps.

[kenneth]

Thanks for the reply Tom. Ken
[Dupe post deleted. Moderator]