1942 Natalio Botana Commemorative Medal – Argentina, Buenos Aires
This commemorative piece was minted one year after the death of Natalio Botana (1888-1941), a visionary Uruguayan journalist who founded CRITICA in 1913. Under his leadership, CRITICA became Latin America's most widely circulated newspaper and pioneered sensationalist journalism in Argentina.
Obverse: displays Botana’s bust along with the dates 1888-1941, marking his profound influence on the media landscape. “A Natalio Botana Fundador De Critica Homenaje de sus Colaboradores 7 VIII 1942” (In English: "To Natalio Botana, Founder of Criticism, Tribute from his Collaborators, 7 VIII 1942").
Reverse: features the iconic Avenida de Mayo building, with a horsefly symbolizing Botana’s fierce commitment to truth and social justice. In its periphery, the Socratic maxim: “God set me over your city like a gadfly over a nobleman's horse to bite him and keep him awake."
Engraver: María Carmen Portela
Diameter: 2 3/8 inches (6 cm)
Weight: 75.2 grams
Silvered bronze
Ungraded
Condition: The medal has been heavily cleaned/dipped in the past, which stripped most of the original silver plating, exposing the core bronze alloy. Sold as-is with altered surfaces.
The medal was designed by María Carmen Portela, a highly regarded vanguard sculptor and printmaker. Because this specific medal was distributed as a high-level tribute from Botana's direct newspaper staff and collaborators, many surviving copies are held permanently inside Argentine journalistic archives, private family estates, or museums, rather than circulating among retail dealers. This rare commemorative medal is a collectible item and an important piece of Argentine history, representing Botana’s immense contribution to journalism.
