Bombardment of Fort McHenry and Baltimore Post Office Dedication Medal

Zoins

So I'm watching Stack's Bowers Live waiting for my lot and this comes up. I didn't see it before and wasn’t even aware of this type, but I like it enough to put in an instant bid and ended up winning it without having any idea what it is.

In hand, it's very flashy, and more yellow than the photos show.

Obverse: POST OFFICE / BALTIMORE, MD. / DEDICATED SEP. 12, 1889
Reverse: BOMBARDMENT OF FORT McHENRY / 1814

1889 is the 75th Anniversary of the bombardment of Fort McHenry and is something Balitmorians were justifiably proud of.

I looked it up in Rulau where it's catalogued as R-MD-BA-220, but there wasn't much info. Steve Hayden indicates this was commonly holed, and it is from checking past eBay sales, but I haven't seen any photos with hangers or ribbons.

Anyone have any information on this medal?

ricko

Very nice.... No additional information, but understand why you bid on it. Cheers, RickO

291fifth

Nice condition!

Zoins

Wikipedia indicates the Baltimore Posts Office on the medal was built in 1889 and replaced in 1932.

1889 is the 75th Anniversary of the if the 1814 Defense of Fort McHenry in the war of 1812.

1932 –

• Another edifice for the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse completed construction on the east side of Battle Monument Square, between East Lexington and Fayette Streets of simplified/modernistic Beaux Arts/Classical Revival style architecture. Replaced previous elaborate Italian Renaissance Revival designed old U.S. Courthouse/Post Office of 1889, which had survived Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, noted with large clock tower and smaller towers arrayed around mansard roof (and also site of earlier 1862–65 U. S. Courthouse to the east side of the block at northwest corner of East Fayette and North Streets (later Guilford Avenue), former site earlier from the 1790s of then landmark twin-steepled First Presbyterian Church visited by 15th President James Buchanan). Construction expedited under severe unemployment situation in the City of deepening Great Depression under administration of 31st President Herbert Hoover.

Of note, the Star-Spangled Banner, or the Great Garrison Flag, flown at the fort has 15 stripes and is the only official US flag to have more than 13 stripes! Amazing what you can learn on a weekend morning from Wikipedia!

The Star-Spangled Banner, or the Great Garrison Flag, was the garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the naval portion of the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. It is on exhibit at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Seeing the flag flying over Fort McHenry on the morning of September 14, 1814, after the battle ended, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry". These words were written by Key and set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven" by John Stafford Smith, a popular song at the time. It was not until 1931 that the song became the national anthem of the United States.

More broadly, a garrison flag is a U.S. Army term for an extra-large national flag that is flown on Sundays, holidays, and special occasions.[2] The U.S. Navy term is "holiday colors".[3]

With fifteen stripes, the Star-Spangled Banner remains the only official American flag to bear more than thirteen stripes.[4]

NumisOxide

Nice looking PL medal. Great pickup.

Zoins

Here's a photo referenced as Custom House and Post Office From Barnum's from "Baltimore Illustrated in Albertype", 1889.

http://genealogytrails.com/mary/balticity/baltimorepictures.html

It's pretty neat to compare and look at specific details.

MedalCollector

Rarely seen in that condition - very nice! And as you mentioned, it is less commonly found without the hole.

Zoins

Given how many of these were issued holed, I imagined there had to be some decent-sized event where these were worn.

I searched and found the following regarding the 1889 Post Office Dedication which was done by President Harrison during a week long celebration of the Battle of North Point and Bombardment of Fort McHenry (emphasis mine). There was a parade with 200 floats and 50,000 men!

It would be great to find out who issued these and how they were distributed. I wonder if they were ordered and distributed by the Maryland Exposition.

B&O Railroad Announcement - August 29, 1889 - Front Page

Seems like the Garretts (major investors in the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad) were involved to get people using their railroad for the weeklong festivities with the following front page article.

Democratic Northwest, Napoleon, Henry County, Ohio newspaper, August 29, 1889

Maryland's Exposition.

Elaborate preparations are being made for the great Exposition to open at Baltimore, Monday, September 9th and continue until Saturday, September 14th.

A monster parade, Industrial and Civic, with 200 floats and 50,000 men in line will be one of the features of the first day. A sham battle, grade concert and massed band concert in which 50 bands will take part, dedication of the post office by the President and Cabinet and Maryland grand ball are on the program for Thursday the 12th.

The bombardment of Fort McHenry is arranged for Friday the 13th. Eight United States Men-of-War, the Maryland Oyster Navy and 500 men will be in the engagement and something realistic can be looked for.

Some of the best stables in the country are entered for the races which take place each day, on the Pimlico Track.

The railroads are making low rates and the B. & O. with its usual liberality announces that excursions will be sold to Baltimore from all stations on its lines east of the Ohio river, for all trains September 7th to 14th inclusive, at one fare for the round trip, valid for return passage until September 21st, inclusive. CHASS. O. SCOLL, Gen'l pass Agt.,

3t B. & O. R. R.

Baltimore Announcement in The Baltimore Underwriter, Sept 5, 1889

The Baltimore Underwriter: A Monthly Publication Devoted to the Interests of Insurance · Volume 42. September 5, 1889, page 104

The seventy-fifth anniversary of the battle of North Point and the bombardment of Fort McHenry will be observed next week, through the efforts of the Maryland Exposition, with unusual ceremony. On Monday the civic and trades parade will take place; on Tuesday and Wednesday races and tournaments at Pimlico; on Thursday parade of labor organizations, representation of the battle off North Point at Pimlico, dedication of the new Post Office building by President Harrison, and Maryland ball at the Concordia; on Friday military parade, and at night bombardment of Fort McHenry and fireworks. The programme for the fire department division of the parade of Monday, 9th, will be found on the next page.

The Greencastle Times,Greencastle, Putnam County, 12 September 1889 Issue, Page 2

Baltimore's Joy. Celebrating Stirring Everntss of the War of 1812

Maryland TAMS Journal - Spring 2004

The following was published in the Spring 2004 issue of the Maryland TAMS Journal. Sounds like quite the event!

https://archive.org/stream/marylandtamsjour25n0mary/marylandtamsjour25n0mary_djvu.txt

MARYLAND EXPOSITION - 1889

By Millard W. Hajek

Six days of September, 1889, were given to the celebration of the 75'' anniversary of the successful defense of Baltimore against the Britisli, attacking by land and sea. September 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, .) The repulse of General Ross, the British commander at North Point, was simulated September 12'’ by a sham battle at Pimlico. The famous fight was arranged and well produced, in spite of unceasing rain and deep mud. United States troops and volunteer regiments from Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, cooperated with the Maryland commands to personate the various British and American units engaged. General Ross, in a scarlet uniform was a conspicuous figure. Leading the British advance, he drew the fire of the Americans in the preliminary skirmish in which he fell. After his death, maneuvering began on a large scale, with the result, of course, of a glorious victory for the home patriots.

Friday night, September 13, was black and rainy, but over 1 00,000 people occupied positions from which the mimic bombardment of Fort Me Henry might be seen. The water was alive with steamers, ships and small boats filled with eager spectators. The British fleet, represented by the United States warships, the Pensacola, the Ossipee, and the Yanic and the monitor Passaic, kept up a furious bombardment for an hour with heavy guns, and the fort responded. The flash of the big ordnance and the glare of the rockets, roman candles and bengal fires to some degree lighted the darkness of the night. (NOTE: The weather bureau recorded a record rainfall of 62.35” for the year 1889 which stood until 2003 when 62.66”of rain fell.)

The great event of the celebration was the fine pageant of Baltimore industries of September 9, viewed by President Harrison and other eminent personages from a stand at the corner of Madison and Eutaw Streets.

Here are some additional interesting links:

• https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4287709/politics-of-the-baltimore-post-office/
• https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=6160

Zoins

Here's a great Baltimore City map showcasing the 1889 Post Office from the New York Public Library.

https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/5438fb70-90c6-0135-c4e9-035e2a6ef4a9

Tlh2023

Any additional info on this medal, mintages, value?

Manifest_Destiny

3 year old thread but very cool medal.

Tlh2023

I stumbled on to one but can’t find any additional information on it.

Sweetpie

@Zoins said:
Here's a great Baltimore City map showcasing the 1889 Post Office from the New York Public Library.

https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/5438fb70-90c6-0135-c4e9-035e2a6ef4a9

Cool historical map!
I felt liked I'm playing " Where's Waldo" because I can't find the location of the Post Office Building .

pmh1nic

Bummed when I view a thread not realizing it's old and then see a post from Ricko

Zoins

@Manifest_Destiny said:
3 year old thread but very cool medal.

@Tlh2023 said:
I stumbled on to one but can’t find any additional information on it.

It's a wonderful piece with wonderful history.

A great thing about these forums is that it's a great place to share and collaborate on rare pieces!

These pieces really need a good reference book to collect lal the info available.

OAKSTAR

Yours truly was actually a small part of Fort McHenry history.