Check out my new gold piece.

RedneckHB · February 18, 2011 11:00AM

This is one of a few "special items" to find their way to me.

Anyone know anything about these?

Seems like some interesting history surrounding this rescue. Apparently the crew of the Anna L Mulford, mutineed, attacked the Captain, and was damaged in the process.

Mutiny

pocketpiececommems · February 18, 2011 11:03AM

That is a cool peice.

savoyspecial · February 18, 2011 11:03AM

avenue7 · February 18, 2011 11:04AM

Nice gold piece

coindeuce · February 18, 2011 11:07AM

Listed in R.W. Julian's "Medals of the United States Mint, the First Century, 1792-1892" as a State Department Second Class Lifesaving medal (LS-3). 32 grams .900 fine gold, 35 mm diameter. Designed by George T Morgan, the obverse portrait of Liberty is the same design used on the obverse of the 1880 "Coiled Hair" $4 Stella Pattern.

Edited to update for historical insight.
The passage from Julian:
"As early as March 1880, John Hay, an assistant Secretary of State, was considering reviving the custom of awarding gold medals to foreign seamen for rescuing Americans on the high seas or in foreign waters. By June 1880 there were a number of letters between Hay and Philadelphia Mint Superintendent A. Louden Snowden on the merits of various designs. Snowden in particular pressed Hay to use the head of the current President (Rutherford Hayes) on the obverse, noting that the domestic prejudice against this practice did not extend to foreigners. In the end, however, a head of Liberty by George T. Morgan was chosen.
The dies were finished by late in November, as twenty silver medals were struck at that time and sent to the State Department. All of these medals, both gold and silver were made with a rider(grip clasp suspension loop with attached pin bar).
The gold medals of this type are somewhat special in that they were made from standard (900/1000 fine) gold. All other gold medals struck at the Mint were of fine (1000/1000) gold. On one occasion pure gold was used in error by the coiner (Bosbyshell) for these medals.
Strikings in two precious metals, gold and silver, probably represent two classes of awards. The bronze composition of these medals were struck unofficially, possibly for collectors with Mint connections."

AnkurJ · February 18, 2011 11:08AM

VERY pretty!

Swampboy · February 18, 2011 11:34AM

Wow.

That is spectacular.

WinPitcher · February 18, 2011 11:48AM

Love it!

Justacommeman · February 18, 2011 11:53AM

Super cool piece! MJ

PerryHall · February 18, 2011 9:24PM

I love the engraving---was it done by hand or by a machine?

ColonialCoinUnion · February 18, 2011 11:26PM

We handled a similar piece several years ago.

ricko · February 18, 2011 11:30PM

Very nice... and gold... I wonder if there is an account of the incident leading to the medal. Cheers, RickO

ColonialCoinUnion · February 18, 2011 11:46PM

<< Very nice... and gold... I wonder if there is an account of the incident leading to the medal. Cheers, RickO >>

I found quite a bit online about the event described on the one we sold - I am sure the OP could do the same.

ebaytrader · February 18, 2011 11:53PM

Thank you for letting me enter in your most generous give-away!

(Gr8 piece!)

RedneckHB · February 19, 2011 12:41AM

<< Listed in R.W. Julian's "Medals of the United States Mint, the First Century, 1792-1892" as a State Department Second Class Lifesaving medal (LS-3). 32 grams .900 fine gold, 35 mm diameter. Designed by George T Morgan, the obverse portrait of Liberty is the same design used on the obverse of the 1880 "Coiled Hair" $4 Stella Pattern.

>>

Thanks for the info CD!!

coinkid855 · February 19, 2011 12:42AM

That's awesome!!

-Paul

RedneckHB · February 19, 2011 12:42AM

<< 

<< Very nice... and gold... I wonder if there is an account of the incident leading to the medal. Cheers, RickO >>

I found quite a bit online about the event described on the one we sold - I am sure the OP could do the same. >>

I will do some further research and add to the OP. Thanks for the idea.

AUandAG · February 19, 2011 12:46AM

Oh my!

bob

tydye · February 19, 2011 4:17AM

Cool piece!

keyman64 · February 19, 2011 4:29AM

Cool!

coindeuce · February 19, 2011 11:06AM

Bump for edited historical info.

TomB · February 19, 2011 11:10AM

Holy Smokes!

metalmeister · February 19, 2011 12:32PM

Nice!

StubbyMcNumbthumbs · February 19, 2011 12:59PM

Having anything that Teddy Roosevelt held in his hand would be very cool!

I like it a lot!

Congrats!

fivecents · February 19, 2011 1:05PM

Very

.

coindeuce · February 19, 2011 1:25PM

<< I love the engraving---was it done by hand or by a machine? >>

Hand engraved. Presumably by an assistant to the Chief Engraver at the time this award was inscribed, as this would not ordinarily be a task assigned to Charles Barber.

dsessom · February 19, 2011 2:07PM

Now, that is one cool piece of history! Nice acquisition!

49thStateofMind · February 19, 2011 2:22PM

UBERKOOL

jmski52 · February 20, 2011 7:43AM

Okay, okay - I'll take it. Very cool!!!

RedneckHB · February 20, 2011 9:53AM

Added historical context in OP.

Thanks for more info CD.

From what I can see there have been less than 700 of these issued since the programs inception. Is that corretc?

CharlotteDude · February 20, 2011 10:31AM

Daddy like...

'dude

Check out my new gold piece.

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