All Medals

References:   MACo 1972-021

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 view of Hotel Commodore in New York City.  In exergue, HOTEL / COMMODORE / NEW YORK CITY

The reverse depicts an open door flanked by shrubbery. In exergue a quote by Emerson, "Happy is the house / that shelters a friend" / Emerson

The Commodore Hotel s located directly east of the Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It opened on January 28, 1919.

Herbert R. Stone, of the New York State Realty and Terminal Company, oversaw the decor of its 2,000 rooms. The lobby, called the "Most Beautiful Lobby in The World," was the single largest room in the hotel, with modern low ceilings and a waterfall designed by John B. Smeraldi. A group of conventioneers once told Bowman that "New York City was like a circus," so the next day Bowman, ever a showman, arranged to place a circus, complete with elephants, in the grand ballroom. Another popular spot was the Century Room, which boasted its own orchestra.

On May 11, 1977, the now-bankrupt railroad's asset manager, Victor Palmieri, told the city that the Commodore had lost $1.5 million in 1976 and might have to be shuttered. At that point, the Trump Organization, partnered with the Hyatt Corporation, bought the Commodore.

At a cost of $100 million, Donald Trump gutted and renovated the building.  On September 25, 1980 the hotel reopened as the Grand Hyatt Hotel New York. The Trump-Hyatt partnership would last for another 13 years before it ended in legal suits and countersuits. In 1996 the Pritzker family finally bought the Trump share for $146 million.

The circular medal measures 76.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the Medallic Art Company of New York. No mintage is reported.

References:   MACo 1950-017

The medal's obverse bears

The reverse bears

This is the third annual membership medal issued by the Medal Collectors of America.

The circular medal measures 63.6mm in diameter and was struck in silver and bronze. The mintage is reported as 39 pieces in bronze and 17 pieces in silver.

The medal's obverse bears bearded man kneeling at suffering man's side, supporting him with one hand and holding a cup in the other. Around, ALLEVARE - SEDARE / SANARE

The reverse bears legend, THOS. LEEMING & CO., INC. / 75TH / ANNIVERSARY / 1881 - 1956 / PHARMACEUTICAL SPECIALTIES

References:   MACo 1956-009

References:   MACo 1967-151-003

References:   HSoNY 1905

References:   Baxter 273