Commems Collection Classic: What If? 1926 American Women Patriots - Medal

I previously posted about the efforts of the War Memorial Mothers Association of New Mexico ("Association") to secure a commemorative half dollar to honor the "services, sacrifices, and patriotism of the American women of all wars in which the United States has participated, which was the inspiration of their sons and daughters in carrying on their part in the various conflicts." (You can read about the unsuccessful attempt here: What If? 1926 American Women Patriots.)

In the earlier post, I also mentioned that several attempts were made to secure a commemorative medal when the coin efforts failed. Let's take a closer look at this effort.

The American Women Patriot coin bills were introduced in March 1926 (Senate) and January 1927 (House) during the 69th Congress. After not receiving action in either chamber, Representative Leonidas Carstarphen Dyer (R-MO) introduced a bill for a commemorative medal for the War Mothers in February 1927. The bill directed the "Secretary of the Treasury to prepare a medal with appropriate emblems and inscriptions commemorative of the services, sacrifices, and patriotism of the American women of all wars in which the United States has participated" - very similar to the wording used in the coin bills. No action was taken on the medal bill before the session of Congress adjourned (Second Session, 69th Congress), other than its referral to the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures.

In December 1927, during the First Session of the 70th Congress, Representatives Dyer and Sam Gilbert Bratton (D-NM) tried again, and introduced parallel medal bills that called for up to five million (!) medals to be struck. The bills did not specify a metallic content for the medals, so bronze, silver and/or gold medals could all have been struck. The bills also lacked a defined time period for striking the medals; theoretically, the medals could have become a multi-year program without an end date - as long as the sponsor could pay for them up front, the Mint would have been obliged to strike and provide them.

One noticeable difference between the coin and medal bills: the coin bills listed as sponsor/beneficiary the War Mothers Memorial Association (of New Mexico), the medal bills identified the War Mothers National Memorial Hospital Association (chartered) in the sponsor/beneficiary role. Though the same parent group, the Hospital Association sponsorship listed in the medal bills brought more focus to where the bulk (80%) of the net proceeds from sales would be directed - a hospital for those who had served overseas in American war efforts (and their dependents) for the treatment and cure of tuberculosis (TB). (A forerunner to the Veterans Administration (VA) hospital system?) The balance of 20% of the net proceeds was to go to the parent Association for the support of its general veterans services.

All of the medal bills were referred to the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures, but none were reported out. As such, they were never considered by the House or Senate and died for lack of action when the 70th Congress adjourned.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, as well as more What If? stories, see: Commems Collection.