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DrDarryl

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  1. These medals are unique in that it played a role in President Eisenhower tenure in office. The video is of President Eisenhower in South America and where the DDE-C2-01 medal was awarded. The attribute that makes these medals different from other U.S. Mint medals is that they are actual award medals. They are not national medals (requires approval by US Congress) nor commemorative medals (sold by the US Mint). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6DwpDd_s-k
  2. If you know your cold war history, you should remember the U-2 incident (I actually had someone ask me what the music band U-2 had to do with the medals...). U-2 is a U.S. spy plane. On May 1, 1960, a U-2 spy plane was shot down flying in the Soviet Union's airspace. The upcoming movie Bridge of Spies (directed by Steven Spielberg and soon to be release in October 2015) shares the history of the event and its after effects. Unbeknownst to U.S. historians and numismatists, there were 3 gold medals and 30 silver medals struck specifically for the Paris Summit. These are the Class 3 medals. The Class 3 design differs from the Class 2 medals (Class 3 renditions are in the 2nd book only). I named the gold medals "1960 Eisenhower Paris Summit - Heads of State Award Medals". I named the silver medals "1960 Eisenhower Paris Summit - Delegate Award Medals". They were to be awarded if the Paris Summit was successful. Well, the U-2 incident enraged the Soviet Union and the Paris Summit collapsed. All 33 medals were returned to the U.S. and were to be destroyed near the end of President Eisenhower's 2nd term in office. All 3 gold medals were inventoried and melted. Somehow only 27 of the silver medals were inventoried and melted. There are 3 of these special designed silver medals circulating... As for the Class 2 medal named "Paris Summit" (DDE-C2-02) in the Class 2 medal image, The Bureau of the Mint struck 1200 medals. 491 were melted near the end of President Eisenhower 2nd term. The resultant circulating mintage is 709 medals... The U-2 Spy Plane incident had a detrimental effect on the surviving population of these three medals.
  3. Notice that Japan is not on the map and there is a Japan medal? Goggle the term "Haggerty Incident Japan". President Eisenhower cancelled his visit to Japan due to security issues after the "Haggerty incident". White House Press Secretary James Haggerty had to be rescued via US Marine helicopter after protesters met up with his motorcade. President Eisenhower's security in Japan could not be guaranteed by the Japanese Government, thus the cancelled visit. Ok...here is the accounting of the mintage for the Japan medal: 500 originally struck 4 in the Eisenhower Presidential Library 410 were melted near the end of President Eisenhower's 2nd term in office 86 medals are in circulation
  4. I correlated President Eisenhower's trips to the Class 1 and Class 2 medals. Specific dates of use for each medal is documented in the 2nd book.
  5. Here is the back story... In July 2013, I acquired a medal with a facsimile signature of Dwight D. Eisenhower and the word "Hawaii". This medal is listed in the guidebook, Hawaiian Money Standard catalog 2nd Edition, 1991, by Medcalf and Russell (M&R). The M&R identifier is 2M-94. The 1991 catalog value was $650. However, the designer, mintage, and manufacturer was not listed in M&R. I performed a survey of the numismatic books and no other book listed it. I searched the internet and found similar medals with other wording and the facsimile signature of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Once again, no designer, mintage, and manufacturer. I located a finding aid at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. I ordered a specific file from the Eisenhower Library. After receiving the file, I knew I hit the numismatic research jackpot. I actually told my wife I can write a book based on the file. It contained correspondences between the White House, Bureau of the Mint, and Philadelphia Mint. Complete mintage of each medal, the designers (Frank Gasparro and Gilroy Roberts), and the manufacturer (Philadelphia Mint). A total of 17 medals was originally identified. By Feb 2014, I published my research findings in a book titled The Dwight D. Eisenhower Appreciation Medals. In November 2014, I expanded my research and focused on the historical perspective on the medals. In July 2015, I published another book titled Authoritative Numismatic Reference: Presidential Medal of Appreciation Award Medals 1958 - 1963. Here are few key findings (in brevity): 1) The medals are classified as "special Government medals". As such, it was a Bureau of the Mint to U.S. Government Agency issue. It could not be sold to the public nor re-struck for re-issue. 2) The U.S. Government Agency controlled the medal acquisition process (approved the design, specified the mintage, set the delivery date, and provided funds for the design and manufacture). 3) The U.S. Government Agency was the White House Office. 4) The medals was design specifically for the President's use. Instead of writing letters of appreciation. The medal sped up the appreciation process to a real-time event. 5) The medal was awarded at the discretion of the President or by the direction of the President through one of his military aides. 6) As a "special Government medal", the Bureau of the Mint had limited knowledge of the use of the medal or where /when they were to be issued/awarded. This put them at a disadvantage. Their 57-year old non-disclosure policy is still being followed. Bureau of the Mint/U.S. Mint have never publicly acknowledge the medals nor provided general numismatic information for the past 57-years. 7) The White House took a misstep with the active records of the medals. The records was sequestered at the end of President Eisenhower's 2nd term in office. The future Executive Assistant of the soon to be former President transferred the records from an active status to a private status. 8) The private status records were in the possession of the Executive Assistant. After his passing, the records remained in his family's possession. 9) In 2011, the records were donated back to the U.S. Government and processed into the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. 10) In July 2013, I was the first numismatic researcher to access the records. This is a very brief explanation. I recommend reading the book. The second book catalogs 22 medal types. 20 belonging to President Eisenhower and 2 belonging to President Kennedy. I never mention the President Kennedy medals, but an interesting fact is that Frank Gasparro's used this medal to gain experience for the Presidential seal used on the reverse Kennedy half-dollar. The Bureau of the Mint/U.S. Mint non-disclosure policy strikes again. I will post image of the "FG" placement between the medal and the half dollar. You have to remember the Kennedy medal was struck in 1962 while the President was still alive.
  6. Below are the specific nations and US States. DDE-C2-01 Brazil Argentina Chile Uruguay DDE-C2-02 FranceDDE-C2-03 PortugalDDE-C2-04 Japan (President Eisenhower cancelled his trip due to the Haggerty incident (White House press secretary had to be rescued from his motorcade by U.S. Marine helicopter). Medals were still awarded to individual who were preparing for President Eisenhower's arrival, stay, and tour of Japan)).DDE-C2-05 State of Alaska Philippines Formosa (aka Taiwan or Republic of China) DDE-C2-06 South KoreaDDE-C2-07 State of HawaiiDDE-C2-08 State of Rhode Island (Newport, RI is President Eisenhower's Summer White House in the year 1960)
  7. This is my first post in this forum about the Presidential Medal of AppreciationTM medal series. Numismatic discoveries have been limited to the physical identification of a new error, new variety, or newly found hoard. The discovery of an entirely undocumented U.S. Mint series is virtually unheard of in U.S. numismatics; however, this seemingly impossible feat has been achieved. An entire U.S. Mint series has been discovered and cataloged for the very first time. This U.S. Mint series consist of 22 medal types. The medal series are separated into 5 Classes. Below are the Class 2 Eisenhower Medals (designed by Frank Gasparro and struck at the Philadelphia Mint). Exact mintage of each of the Class 2 medals are known. Exact inventory of those melted are known. I'm interested in repatriating these medals from the nations in which President Eisenhower awarded these medal in. The diameter of the medal is 38.1 mm (same size as a US Morgan silver dollar), thickness is 2.98 mm, metal is 0.900 fine silver, and smooth edge. If you have encountered these medals drop me a note.
  8. I have both the copper and aluminum versions in my collection. I believe that my copper medal is pattern. The aluminum medal was distributed as souvenirs at the celebration.
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