I always enjoy adding medals and/or other exonumia (and/or ephemera) to my collection that has a verifiable, authentic connection to one of the US Mint commemorative coins that I collect. The Mint itself has been making this connection over the last five years or so - the 2018 World War I Coin and Medal Sets are just one example - but before that, I sought out material that was issued/sponsored by the same organization as the coin(s).
In 1986, the US Mint struck and issued a three-coin commemorative set for the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation (SOL-EIF), Inc. The program included a Gold Half Eagle ($5.00), a Silver Dollar and a CuNi Clad Half Dollar. The SOL-EIF was faced with a huge fund-raising task if it was to successfully restore and preserve the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island after many years of neglect and deterioration. To help achieve its financial objectives, the SOL-EIF was very active in its fundraising and licensing (including seeking out numismatic opportunities beyond the coin program).
The SOL-EIF recruited corporate sponsors, launched several grass roots fundraising campaigns directed at the American public and licensed its official logo for use on a variety of official products and souvenirs. Before it was through, nearly 100 companies received a license and roughly 1,000 individual products were released in the lead up to the centennial celebrations held on July 4, 1986. The SOL-EIF collected licensing fees on all the official products. Ultimately, over $250 million were raised for the centennial restoration projects.
Included within the more than 200 categories of licensed products were multiple commemorative medals that were produced from authentic material that was removed from the Statue during its restoration/renovation.
My focus here is on a 0.999 fine silver medal produced by the Liberty Commemorative Project Ltd. ("Project"), a company formed by former executives of the Franklin Mint to develop and market the commemorative medal. The medal is described as "An Official Issue" by its promoter. As the medal was produced with the full cooperation of the SOL-EIF, the Project donated a portion of its proceeds to the SOL-EIF and included a Certificate of Authenticity "signed" by Chairman Lee Iacocca with each piece.
The obverse of the medal presents a full-length view of the Statue of Liberty at its center with a depiction of the Great Hall (the primary immigration processing site) on Ellis Island at the left (viewer's perspective) and the skyline of Lower Manhattan on the right; as the medal was designed/produced in 1985-86, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center figure prominently in the design. The obverse also features the dual commemorative dates "1886 - 1986."
I believe the design very effectively conveys the arrival experience of immigrants to America. The Statue of Liberty presents a message of freedom and hope and opportunity, Ellis Island represents the important first stop and gateway for those hoping to settle in America and New York City, for many, signifies a first home and the beginning of a new and better life.
The medal's reverse is what makes the medal distinctive vs. non-licensed/non-authorized medals. It features a close-up view of Liberty's upraised arm/hand with her firm grasp on the torch that is lighting the path to freedom. The torch's flame is represented by a small piece of copper that was removed from the Statue during its restoration; it is affixed to the medal with epoxy glue vs. being struck in. Also seen is the famous quote "I lift my lamp beside the golden door" taken from the poem
The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus. The poem was written in 1883 to help raise funds for construction of the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty; a bronze plaque featuring the poem is on display within the statue's pedestal.
The medal's designs are the work of American artist-sculptor Anthony Jones. Mr. Jones became a professional artist in 1968 and enjoyed a successful career as a wildlife artist who was known for the true-to-life realism of his sculptures. He brought the same level of detail to his medallic work, sculpting many pieces for the Franklin Mint (FM). While much of his work for FM featured wildlife scenes, he also created a number of historical commemorative medals and holiday ingots.
Statue of Liberty "Official" Medal - Silver
Statue of Liberty "Official" Medal - Certificate of Authenticity
The 38 millimeter medal was struck by the Specialty Metals division of Engelhard Corporation. It was available in platinum (Maximum Mintage: 1,000 / Price: $1,500), silver-plated bronze (? / $19.95), gold-plated bronze (100,000 / $29.50) and 0.999 fine silver (? / $55.00); the silver medal is one troy ounce. Postage and handling charges were additional and ranged from $1.50 to $2.50 per piece.
As an official commemorative of the SOL-EIF, the medal was meant to serve as a fundraiser for the SOL-EIF. As such, a portion of the proceeds from each medal sale was given to the Foundation for its restoration and preservation efforts.
I have never seen final mintages / sales figures for the various medals (they are likely non-existent at this point), but I would suggest that they are far less than the advertised maximums as the medals are infrequently encountered in the market place.
I enjoy collecting Statue of Liberty themed coins, medals and rounds. Of the 50 or so that I have in my collection, this one is among my favorites. I like the message the design presents, and I like the fact that it was an authorized piece that generated funds for the Statue's restoration vs. a simple money grab by an unaffiliated third party.
Two of the medal's coin cousins...
1986 Statue of Liberty US Silver Dollar and France 100 Francs in NGC Two-Coin Holder
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more about the Statue of Liberty Canadian Commemorative stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 07/30/2023 1:33 pm
