The "Baby Ruth" Cleveland So-Called Dollar
BillJones
Posts: 34,840 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have been looking for an example of this piece for a number years. This piece was issued during the Columbian Exposition which opened in 1893, and is listed in the so-called dollar book as HK-214. It is listed as an R-6 in that series with an estimated surviving population of from 21 to 75 pieces. I would estimate that the number of surviving pieces is much closer to 75 than 20, but finding one does involve some vigilance and effort.
On June 2, 1886, Grover Cleveland, 49, a lifelong bachelor, married Frances Folsom age 21 at the White House. He was also the only president ever to be married at the presidential residence. The difference in age would have been enough to get start more than a little gossip, but the story gets juicier. Frances Folsom was the daughter of Grover Cleveland's law partner. When he died in a carriage accident Frances was a baby and Grover Cleveland became her legal guardian. He even purchased her first baby carriage. Over the years a relationship developed between the two that ultimately blossomed into love. After Frances finished college they were married.
Some of Cleveland's opponents tried to make their marriage into a political issue. There were claims that Cleveland was an over bearing brute who beat his bride. The Clevelands suffered through these lies for a while, but ultimately Frances, went public, refuted the charges and described their marriage as a totally happy one.
In response the public embraced the Cleveland family, and First Lady Frances Cleveland became immensely popular. In fact she and their growing family became a major political asset for the Cleveland presidency. Their first child, Ruth, was born in 1891 at a time when Grover was looking to regain the White House. Cleveland had lost his bid for re-election in 1888, but came back to win the White House in 1892 thus becoming the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. at the White House.
Given the fact that the date of the 1892 presidential election, November 8, appears on this so-called dollar, one could argue that it was an election piece and should be listed in Sullivan - DeWitt. It does not appear in that work, however, because it was issued in 1893 during the Columbian Exposition. If the fair had opened on schedule in 1892, this piece would have taken on a greater political nature and would have undoubtedly been listed as campaign medalet.
It has been claimed that the Baby Ruth candy bar was named after Ruth Cleveland. I do not agree with that claim. Ruth Cleveland died of diphtheria at age 12 in 1904, much to the sadness of her aging father. The claim that a candy company would use the name of a presidential off-spring 17 years after her death and 24 years after her father left office lacks credibility. The real story is a bit more devious.
By this time baseball player, Babe Ruth, was coming into his prime. In 1920 Ruth set an astonishing record by hitting 54 homeruns in a single season. He was becoming the toast of baseball and the New York Yankees.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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To the OP....How many years HAVE you been searching for this piece? And if Tmott (I'm pretty sure it was he that had the Columbian Expo material, some of it REAL neat) can sound off, did you have this particular medal, as I don't recall ever seeing this amongst your many other pieces you've shared with us?
To the OP......two questions: 1) It isn't 'holed', yet the top of the 'obverse', it looks to be drilled (actually, like a nail was going to be sent through it), but not a sign of holing on the reverse...is that considered a damaged obverse? 2) I'm curious as to what price figure (ballpark, not what you paid, not being nosey) do you think it's at (I know it's a thin niche market, but there are more than just a few that are into Columbian Expo memorabilia/exonumia), given it's an R-6? Lastly, to the OP, is this getting entombed any time soon??? Do you think the few rim 'taps' could be 'forgiven' on an R-6 like this, and get a numerical grade (that 'gouge' on the obverse, though, would probably preclude it from a numerical grade, I'd imagine (?), but this is VERY far outside my realm). I only ask, not to put the medal down, but, rather the opposite, as I really like it (I've had a few of the 'high relief', UCAM/proof-like aluminum examples, as well as a few other pieces, in my collection at different times). I also agree with your assessment on the origin of the bar's name. I knew long ago about the differences in the 'dating' of his terms, as it's somewhat common knowledge (to those that pay attention in history class, anyway...OR prez dollars, but that was last year, so, could be forgotten by those few still into them now) that Cleveland's terms were not consecutive, and those years of office, his daughter, and The Babe's years, well, didn't quite jive, the gaps in those years (IMO, I agree with your assessment that the Pres's daughter story lacks credibility, and IMO, it IS rather obvious it was NOT named after Cleveland's daughter, but after The Babe, to capitalize on his name to sell a bajillion bars, and maka da money and not give him a cent from it).
Very nice pick-up...patience IS a virtue! Congrats!
(edited to correct grammar and fix a sentence)
#2. I paid less than $200 for this. If it were nicer I could see it going for $300 to $400. I don't get items like this slabbed. The slabbed pieces in my political collection were slabbed when I bought them. I do'nt go out of my way to buy slabbed tokens and medals. Aluminum is really soft and easily marked. Therefore a tiny rim mark or two does bother me.
I had been looking one of these off and on for four + years.