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Kiel Canal Medal

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    Posted 11 years ago

    Militarist
    (287 items)

    Some of the most interesting medals are those that are U.S. Navy related but not navy issues. One such medal is for the Kiel Canal grand opening of 1895. The Kiel Canal which was one of Kaiser Bill‘s pet projects, connects the North Sea and the Baltic Sea thus eliminating the need for ships to sail around the Jutland Peninsula. In a time when fancy military uniforms were the fashion, the grand opening of such an important canal was an event which Germany played to the hilt. Fourteen countries including the United States, sent fifty-one war ships to the grand opening ceremony held on June 20, 1895. As was often the case when the navy went cruising a medal was sure to follow. This was also a time when the US government had a balanced budget and so in order to insure that the US Navy would participate there was an organized fund drive by patriotic citizens to finance the trip. The medal illustrated here was issued to commemorate the fund raising for the trip. The 38 mm antique gold finished bronze medal is suspended from a pin back broach. The obverse has an allegorical woman holding an open book and an emblem of medicine and commerce. The reverse is inscribed “AWARDED FOR RECOGNIZED MERITORIOUS SERVICES TO THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC FOR INDUSTRIAL THRIFT FROM $200,000 FUND FOUNDED BY ASSOCIATED PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES AMERICAN CREDIT MENS AND NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL ASSN’S TO HELP CARRY THE STARS AND STRIPES OVER THE KIEL CANAL“ within a shield shaped border. So who do you think got the medals? Why the fund raisers of course!

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    Comments

    1. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      This is a beautiful medal and a fascinating post! (I have to say that I really enjoy that in these American medals the women aren't half naked.) Was there something engraved in the bar area -- the area from which the medal is suspended? Thank you!
    2. Militarist Militarist, 11 years ago
      Thanks miKKo. There was never any engraving on the brooch in the frame. Nudity on medals (sculpture) is an ancient Greek tradition which continued through the Victorian era because it was classical art. Nudity on paper money is also fairly common especially on the U.S. obsoletes because it was claimed to be a counterfeiting deterent! I never quite understood that one.
    3. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 11 years ago
      Wonder about the symbolism of the Medusa sign?
    4. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      Blunderbuss, do you mean the winged staff that has the entwined snake/s? and which is surmounted by wings? Are there two snakes? Can't see too well. The staff that Hermes(Greek) , Mercury (Roman) carried had two snakes. If there are two snakes (two heads), the staff is called a caduceus.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus
    5. Militarist Militarist, 11 years ago
      Thanks to everyone for the loves.
    6. Militarist Militarist, 11 years ago
      "Caduceus"!! Thanks miKKo I was at a total loss trying to remember the name when I wrote this one up.
    7. miKKoChristmas11 miKKoChristmas11, 11 years ago
      You're most welcome, sir! I stumbled over the spelling myself. : )
    8. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 11 years ago
      I was think that didn't look right when I typed it. Well what does it symbolize? Medicine?
    9. Militarist Militarist, 11 years ago
      emblem of medicine and commerce.

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