This medal was chosen as the 65th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1962.
The obverse bears three female nudes dancing. Above right, DANCERS
The reverse bears three female nudes in water with beach ball. Above left, B-A-T-H-E-R-S; in right corner of exergue OM © '52
Italian-born Maldarelli created the first SOM medal composed in an entirely modern style. While not everyone was happy about the modernistic representation of the female body, overall the reception drew surprisingly little criticism. Maybe Maldarelli's message of "art for art's sake" was appreciated. In his "Message from the Artist" Maldarelli wrote:
"As its function is not to memorialize a specific subject, I hope it will be interpreted and accepted as a piece of sculpture and perhaps enjoyed as such."
While the style might have been modern, the message was remarkably traditional. That must have resonated with Society members who had at that point seen several commemorative medals in the series and, in general, favored pure art.
This medal measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported production quantity of this medal is 915 in bronze, an unknown number in silver.