The Token and Medal Society’s Medal of Merit for 2011 was awarded Aug. 18 in Rosemont, Ill., to Rachel Irish, who served TAMS the past six years as treasurer.

Irish has been succeeded as treasurer by Mark Lighterman.

The Medal of Merit and other TAMS awards were presented during the organization’s annual banquet in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money.

The Ben and Sylvia Odesser Award for research and publication of articles on Judaica was presented to Saul Needleman for his articles published in the The Shekel, the official journal of the American Israel Numismatic Association, on the use of the word “Jehovah” written in Hebrew on coins and medals.

Additional awards presented were:

TAMS Literary Awards:

First place, William Hyder, “San Francisco Exonumia and 1898 Golden Jubilee.”

Second place, Leonard Goldberg, “The Iceman Cometh,” devoted to tokens from the Strasburg Ice Co. in Virginia.

Third place, Donald H. Dool, “Medals for a Liberator,” dedicated to pieces honoring South American emancipator Gen. Jose de San Martin.

Mishler Cataloging Awards:

First place, Philip Gotner, A Modern Illustrated Catalog of Medals, Plaques, and Tokens for President Teddy Roosevelt.

Second place, Peter Spooner, Arizona Trade Tokens 2010.

Third place, David Niver, Colorado Casino Token Guide.

Honorable mention, Andrew Harkness and Timothy Corio, Agricultural and Mechanical Society Award Medals of the United States – Second Edition. ¦