Ulysses S. Grant, the General who commanded the Union Army during the US Civil War, was President of the United States from March 4, 1869 to March 4, 1877. After years of serving his country, Grant and his family wished to enjoy a bit of "down time" in more modern parlance, and thus departed Philadelphia on May 17, 1877 to begin an around-the-world trip that saw the Grant family visit 19 countries before returning to the US in September 1879.
Leaving on Trip Aboard SS. Indiana, May 1877
(Image Credit: Around the World with General Grant. Volume I. New York: American News Company,1879.)His first destination was England, sailing upon the the SS
Indiana - a ship outfitted with a steam engine as well as sails. From its start, the trip did not have a defined itinerary or pre-planned duration, as Grant preferred it all to develop
organically as he made his way.
He returned to the US, via California, in 1879 after departing Japan. From California, he made his way across the country and, eventually, back to Philadelphia. He was celebrated wherever he went! In his honor, in December 1879, Philadelphia staged a major parade that had an estimated 350,000 people line the parade route. The local US Mint employees lobbied Mint Director Horatio Chapin Burchard to allow them to participate in the parade. With his approval, Mint employees struck a large number of brass souvenir medals and tossed them into the crowds as they moved along the route.
The small medal presents a left-facing portrait of Grant on its obverse, with "ULYSSES" and "S. GRANT" flanking it. At the center of the reverse is seen the Philadelphia Coat-of-Arms, encircled by two inscription rings: "STRUCK AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE MUNICIPAL PARADE" in the outer ring and "BY THE EMPLOYEES OF THE U.S. MINT - PHILA. DEC. 16. 1879" in the inner ring.
An exact mintage for the medal is unknown, though it is estimated that ~10,000 were produced and distributed. The medal was not made a "List Medal" of the Mint, and was not sold by it after the parade - it remained a free parade souvenir from the US Mint. The brass medal is 25 millimeters (mm) in diameter - the 21 mm specified on the insert/label of my example is incorrect.
The CM-18 included on the "slab" insert/label refers to the number assigned to it by R. W. Julian in his landmark reference work -
Medals of the United States Mint: The First Century, 1792-1892. It was the 18th medal among those Julian included in the "Commemorative Medals" section of his reference work.
My example is in decent condition, though slightly higher graded examples can be found. The medal is relatively common, at least in circulated condition, and varies widely in market price. I've seen AU brass examples offered for $30 as well as for 10X that price - a bit of patience is in order if you decide to add one to your collection. Julian reported the existence of a small number of silver and gold strikes - they are very uncommon.
1879 Ulysses S. Grant Parade Medal, US Mint
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, check out:
Commems Collection. 
Posted 09/11/2022 3:06 pm
