The following is another case of a commemorative medal bill being passed by the US Congress, signed into law by the President, but not acted upon by its sponsor...
The 1963 Idaho Territorial Centennial medal represents a related scenario. You can read of another here:
- What If? 1963 Idaho Territorial Centennial OR
- Medals: 1963 Idaho Territorial CentennialScranton is located in northeast Pennsylvania within the Lackawana Valley. Scranton's history as an industrial city is closely tied to anthracite (coal) mining and its iron and steel works. It can trace its European roots to the 1760s when the first non-indigenous settlers came to the area; the area's first permanent settlement was established in 1788 and was known as Deep Hollow. The city has been known by several names overs its history (Dark Hollow, Unionville, Slocum Hollow, Lackawanna Iron Works, Harrison and Scrantonia), but finalized its permanent "Scranton" name in 1851 when it was named in honor of brothers George and Selden (or Seldon) Scranton.
In 1840, the Scranton brothers teamed up with William Henry and Sanford Grant to form Scrantons & Grant. The company built a blast furnace in the area and began producing pig iron which it used to produce nails and iron plates. After suffering financial issues due to quality issues, the Company reorganized and began producing railroad rails - a definite growth industry at the time. The reorganized firm was successful and became the prominent Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company in 1853 - it became a major producer/supplier of steel that helped fuel growth across the country.
The industrial growth of Scranton brought thousands to the area who were in search of work. Upon the formation of Lackawanna County in 1878, Scranton's importance in the area was recognized and it was made the County Seat. It was incorporated as a Borough in 1856 and as a City ten years later on April 23, 1866 (the incorporation brought together the Boroughs of Scranton, Hyde Park and Providence). It is this incorporation as a City that was to be celebrated by the medals.
Companion bills to "furnish to the Scranton Association, Inc., medals in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the city of Scranton, Pa." were introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate in January 1966. The House bill was introduced by Joseph Michael McDade (R-PA); the Senate bill by Hugh Doggett Scott, Jr. (R-PA). The House bill was immediately referred to the House Committee on Banking and Currency; the Senate bill to the parallel Senate Committee on Banking and Currency. The bills specified the authorization of up to 150,000 medals.
The House bill remained in the House Committee as the Senate bill progressed. The Senate Committee reported the bill favorably with a recommendation that it pass. In a letter sent by Senator McDade to Senator Absalom Willis Robertson (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Currenncy, it was stated "No request will be made to use silver or other strategic metals." and that the medals were to be struck "At no expense to the US Government." In its Report, the Senate Committee acknowledged the letter's declarations and stated its expectations that neither gold nor silver would be used for the medals, and that their production would "not interfere with the normal activities of the mint." The Committee did not, however, provide specific language for inclusion in the bill for either of its expectations.
When the bill was brought up for consideration in the Senate, neither of the Committee's "expectations" was explictly stated in the bill's language, but they were acknowledged via the inclusion of a portion of the Committee's report in the
Congressional Record as Extended Remarks. The bill was passed without debate and sent to the House for its review and consideration.
Once received in the House, it was referred to the House Committee on Banking and Currency. The Committee reported the bill without amendment and with a recommendation to pass. In the House, as had happened in the Senate, the bill was passed without debate or objection.
The Senate bill was subsequently examined and signed in each chamber, and was then sent to the President for approval. US President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the bill into law on April 14, 1966.
As noted above, the Act authorizing the medal did not include specific language prohibiting the use of silver or gold (or strategic metals in general), but, IMO, the Scranton Association, Inc. may have pushed for - at a minimum - silver medals to be struck and the Mint would not have had the legal authority to deny them as the Act stated "The medals authorized to be issued pursuant to this Act shall be of such size or sizes and of such metals as shall be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with such association." (Can you say "open-ended?")
Though Congress moved fairly quickly to approve the Scranton medal (roughly three months between introduction and passage), the fact that it was not approved until mid-April 1966 - approximately two months after Scranton's Centennial Celebrations had already begun - appears to have caused the Scranton Association to cease its pursuit of a Mint-struck medal. Realizing that it would likely be two+ months before it would have a medal to sell as a fundraiser - a time point closer to the close of its festivities than it was to their start - the Association went a different direction. I have yet to see a privately-struck 1966 Scranton Centennial medal, but I have seen a variety of wooden nickels for the event.
The Scranton Association sponsored a contest that sought a new design for the City of Scranton flag. The winning entry, by William Kozy, features a navy blue field with a yellow, rounded rectangle at center. The rectangle features three symbols representative of Scranton's Past, Present and Future; the symbols are separated by a "Y". At lower left is a fossilized leaf - representative of coal and its importance to the city's history (coal is a fossil fuel). The lower right section features rotating arrows around a center circle, the design is symbolic of the city's progress and role in transportation (primarily railroads) that "drove" it to the present. At top is seen a generic atomic symbol, meant to represent future innovations and the potential of Scranton. Surrounding the rectangle is "CITY OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA" and "INCORPORATED APRIL 23, 1866" separated by five-point stars.
City of Scranton Flag - 1966 to Present
Scranton also celebrated its centennial with a parade - you gotta have a parade!
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 11/01/2023 2:56 pm
