Description
FINLAND recognising Human Kindness World War II Foster Children 50mm bronze medal 61.69 grams by Gerda Qvist
Obverse: a female figure, an olive branch and a burning oil lamp
Reverse: pair of young boys holding a wreath, BENIGNITATIS HUMANAE / FINLANDIA MEMOR (Trans: Finland remembers human kindness.)
At least 40,000 copies of this medal were in Sweden and upwards of 15,000 in Denmark. It was minted in 1946 and distributed in 1946-1947 mainly to foster families but also to several individuals who participated in helping Finnish war children in both countries.
Gerda Franziska Qvist (1883 -1957) was a Finnish sculptor (until 1917) and medallist. She was a pioneer in modern medallic art in Finland at the beginning of the 20th century.
