Medals relating to Ships

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Jones in uniform, facing right. Around, JOANNI  PAVLO JONES / CLASSIS PRAEFECTO. / COMITIA AMERICANA.; signed under truncation, DUPRE. F.

The reverse bears smoking Bonhomme Richard, holed and with broken mast, facing left, in front of the foremast and bowsprit of Serapis; fighting sailors and rubbish are visible in the water and Alliance resides in the background. Around, HOSTIVM NAVIBVS - CAPTIS AVT FVGATIS.; in exergue, AD ORAM SCOTIAE XXIII SEPT. / M.DCCLXXVIIII · / DUPRE. F.

The Battle of Flamborough Head was a naval battle that took place on 23 September 1779 in the North Sea off the coast of Yorkshire between a combined Franco-American squadron, led by Continental Navy officer John Paul Jones, and two British escort vessels protecting a large merchant convoy. It became one of the most celebrated naval actions of the war, despite its relatively small size and considerable dispute over what had actually occurred.  Regardless, the myth of the battle is as important or maybe even more important than the actual battle.

Jones commanded a small squadron from the ship Bonhomme Richard, a converted India Trader.  When they ran into a large Baltic trade convoy under the protection of the HMS Seraphis and the hired vessel Countess of Scarborough,

Jones decided to attack.  With his ship outgunned and outclassed, he strove to equalize the odds by locking the ships together and engaging in close quarters combat.  With Jones' ship burning and sinking beneath him and most of his crew killed, so the story has it, Jones rejected requests for surrender by shouting "I have not yet begun to fight!" and "I may sink but I'll be damned if I strike!" 

When a lucky grenade caused a chain reaction of explosions on the British vessel, the USS Alliance finally joined the fight and the Seraphis surrendered.

The battle, while strategically unimportant, had a huge effect on the morale of the American and French Navies. The seemingly invincible British navy could be defeated in messy, gutsy battle.

As all Comitia Americana medals, there are numerous restrikes, both by the French Mint and the U.S. Mint, and I am not a specialist in this area of numismatics. Maybe a reader can help out with a guide on how to distinguish originals from later copies.

The medal's obverse bears a galleon under full sail, facing half right. Around, YACHT · RACING · ASSOCIATION · OF · LONG · ISLAND · SOVND ☩

The reverse bears a wreath surrounding center field left empty for inscription.

The edge is marked BRONZE.

The Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound traces its roots back to a 1906 meeting of nine or ten avid sailors, including George Granberry, Harry Jackson, Dr. A.E. Black and J.W. Alker.  They had gathered in the Hotel Astor's yachting room and came up with the idea of the Handicap Yacht Racing Class of Long Island Sound.  From the humble beginnings of six boats competing on one class the association quickly grew to hundreds of boats racing in multiple divisions and classes.

While I could not track down a date for the first medal award I am fairly confident that medals were awarded early on in the association's racing history and have dated the medal in the 1900's.  A much more abstract (and much less expensive) version of the medal is still awarded today.

The circular medal measures 77mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Tiffany & Co. of New York.

The medal's obverse bears portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, facing left; at left, anchor within wreath and scrollwork. Across, THEODORE / ROOSEVELT / PRESIDENT / OF THE / UNITED / STATES; signed at bottom right, BARBER

The reverse bears three ships under steam on wide ocean expanse; at left, female figure holding chart with imprinted globe; nude child figure raising flag. in exergue at right, HAMPTON · ROADS · DEC · 16 · 1907 / DEPARTURE · OF · UNITED · STATES · ATLANTIC / FLEET · ON · CRUISE · AROUND · THE · WORLD; signed at bottom left, MORGAN

By 1907, tensions between Japan and the United States were increasing.  Japan had just won the war with Russia and the U.S. had acquired new territory in the Pacific as a consequence of the Spanish-American War. Neither country was interested in a war with the other and Roosevelt decided to sailt the Atlantic Fleet around the world, both as a show of strength and as a symbol of American goodwill. 

On December 16, 1907 a fleet of sixteen American battleships set sail on a world cruise of friendship, diplomacy and propaganda. The flagship was the USS Connecticut, which was commanded by Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans. The battleships were painted white save for gilded scrollwork on their bows. This color scheme would later be responsible for the name "The Great White Fleet."

The plaquette was a coproduction of the two senior engravers at the U.S.Mint: Charles E. Barber and George T. Morgan. Barber designed the obverse and Morgan the reverse.

The plaquette measures 83mm x 62mm and was struck in bronze by the U.S. Mint. The mintage is not known to me.

The medal's obverse bears bust of Pocahontas facing left. Around, within beaded border, · TER-CENTENNIAL · OF · THE · SETTLEMENT · OF · JAMESTOWN · / 1607 - 1907

The reverse bears two ships under full sail. Around, within beaded border, · LANDING OF EXPEDITION UNDER CAPT.N JOHN SMITH ·  / MAY 13. 1607

The Jamestown Exposition of 1907 was held at what is now the Naval Base of Norfolk, Virginia.  It attracted 1.2 million visitors.

The circular medal measures 33.4mm in diameter and was struck in three different materials by the U.S. Mint.  The bronze variant is #346 and the gilt variant is #347 in the Hibler & Kappen reference of "So-Called Dollars."

Many thanks to the staff of the Yale University Art Gallery for their support and assistance and making the silver-plated variant of this medal available to me for research.

References:   HK 346,347

References:   Marqusee 331

The obverse bears Henry Hudson and sailors on the Halve Maen during the hoisting of some freight onto the ship. Around top, DISCOVERY OF HUDSON RIVER BY HENRY HUDSON A D MDCIX; at lower left, THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY; at lower right, HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION COMM.; in exergue, HALVE MAEN; signed in lower right corner, E FUCHS

The reverse bears three seated female figures representing Steam Navigation, History, and Commerce; above, portrait of Robert Fulton. In background, views of New York in 1807 and 1909. Below portrait, ROBERT FULTON / 1765 1815; in exergue, FIRST USE OF STEAM NAVIGATION / ON THE HUDSON RIVER / 1807; signed in lower right corner, E FUCHS

This medal, in one of its many variants, is probably one of the most common ANS medals being traded. There are 15 known variants ranging from 1¼in silver-plated to 3in gold and 4in silver. Even the large gold variant had 11 pieces produced! This is probably the most successful ANS medal ever.

This medal was the 23rd official issue of the American Numismatic Society.

The offical medal measures 76mm in diameter and was struck by Tiffany & Company of New York as well as Whitehead and Hoag of Newark. The reported mintage for the official ANS issue is 100 pieces in silver but there is a wide range of variants that are listed separately.

References:   ANS 23, Marqusee 186,187

The uniface medal bears bust of Captain Arthur Rostron facing right. Around, S·S·TITANIC (laurel branch) APRIL·15·1912 (laurel branch) S·S·CARPATHIA / CAPTAIN · ROSTRON; signed to left and right of bust, © - SPICER·/SIMSON

The edge is marked with a faint "41"

On April 15, 1912, Arthur Henry Rostron (1869-1940) was a captain for the Cunard Line when his ship, the ocean liner RMS Carpathia, received a distress signal from the White Star liner RMS Titanic. The Titanic had struck an iceberg and was sinking rapidly.  Rostron immediately ordered his ship to race for the sinking Titanic.  His engineering crew coaxed the Carpathia's engines up to 17.5 knots, 3.5 knots over its rated speed. He took a huge risk racing through dense ice at night but he knew what was at stake when a major liner was sinking in freezing water in the middle of the Atlantic.  In the 3.5 hours which it took to arrive at the Titanic's radioed position he gave 23 orders that would later prove to have saved lives. His crew prepared blankets, food and drinks and ended up rescuing 710 survivors from the freezing waters of the Atlantic.

Rostron was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the Thanks of Congress, the American Cross of Honor, and medals by the Liverpool and New York Shipwreck Societies.  Rostron would eventually rise to the position of Commodore of the Cunard Line and served as a British Naval Officer during World War I.

The medal was privately commissioned by Titanic survivors Margaret Brown and Dennis Telluride.

The circular medal measures 51mm. Only 500 pieces were struck in bronze.

This medal is the eleventh issue in the prestigious and highly collectible Circle of Friends of the Medallion series.

The medal's obverse bears a figure representing New York, seated on a throne, holding burning torch in one hand, skyscraper in other. Around, TERCENTENARY / NEW YORK / 1914.

The reverse depicts the ship New Netherland which brought the first settlers to New Amsterdam in 1623, flanked by Dutchman with musket and Native American with bow and peace pipe; beaver below. Around, NEW NETHERLAND FOUNDED / 1614.

The circular medal measures 70mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by Davison of Philadelphia.

References:   Baxter 361, CoF 11, Marqusee 253

The medal's obverse bears imaginary scene aboard American ship with two men witnessing the British bomardment of Fort McHenry with large American flag rising above clouds of powder smoke. Around top, "'TIS THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER"

The medal's reverse bears medallic portrait of Francis Scott Key with draped American flag and laurel branches.  Around, · NATIONAL STAR-SPANGLED BANNER CENTENNIAL · / BALTIMORE, MD. U.S.A. SEPT. 6-13.1914

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large American flag, the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the American victory.

The circular medal measures 50.9mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears Uncle Sam, carrying pickaxe over shoulder with one hand and holding spade with other, spade handle bisecting the Americas in background at the isthmus. Around, PANAMA PACIFIC EXPOSITION SAN DIEGO 1915

The reverse bears view of S.S. Ancon in canal lock. Around, PANAMA CANAL OPENED BY S.S. ANCON / OFFICIAL SOUVENIR; in exergue, AUG. 15. 1914

The circular medal measures 34mm in diameter and was struck in gilt bronze. No mintage is reported.