Medal, Commemorative

Joe Louis, 1914-1981

One bronze reproduction of the Joe Louis Congressional Gold Medal. It was issued in 1982 to celebrate Louis' life and career as a notable American. The obverse side of the medal shows a head and shoulders image of Joe Louis in a boxing pose along with his name, year of birth (1914), and year of death (1981). The last name of the medal sculptor, "Iacocca," appears in small letters at the bottom. (Mike Iacocca was a sculptor at the U. S. Mint in Philadelphia.) The reverse side shows an image of a pair of boxing gloves and "The Ring Championship" boxer's belt with the name, "Joe Louis," on it. Along the perimeter are the words, "World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, 1937-1948." The words, "Act of Congress 1981," are shown near the bottom of the medal.