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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
10284 Posts |
Billy the Kid Henry McCarty, also known as William H. Bonney, and known popularly as Billy the Kid, was an American Old West gunfighter who participated in New Mexico's Lincoln County War. He is known to have killed eight men although that count has been greatly exaggerated.  I have been watching a bronze medal and thought it was a bit overpriced. I happened across this one and was surprised to find it a .999 silver ounce medal from 1969 not too much over spot - The Centennial of Lincoln County.
There is no way I could justly write up a condensed biography on this feller. So there are many websites, history videos and books for anyone to look at. Most everyone has at least heard of him. Some movies fairly well tell the story while others are almost pure fiction. 
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
1974 United States History Society Aluminum Medals
"People who made America" I believe I have a complete set here. I had to buy Clara Barton separately to complete the set. Arrived today and matches the rest just fine. These are in wonderful condition for aluminum medals. I don't think they will stay in the album because I want them to remain spot free. I have been watching for Annie Oakley to show up by herself someplace. It never happens.  But this came along as one of the most filled albums I have seen and the condition of Annie Oakley looks good as do the rest. Then, I found a bronze set with a checklist, same designs, same medals, way different price.  Although this album has extra holes which holds up to 30 medals, I am thinking it quit at 21. It's not like I'm jumping up and down with joy over this but the price was right and I don't think there are that many completed sets so there it is. My favoites would be Annie Oakley, Davy Crockett, Benjamin Franklin, Sitting Bull, Frederic Remington and Neil Armstrong. 
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
Sam Houston and The Battle of San Jacinto ( This medal image will be updated - the medal is in a capsule and cello in photo )Fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican army in a fight that lasted just 18 minutes. Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, was captured the following day and held as a prisoner of war.  Three weeks later, he signed the peace treaty that dictated that the Mexican army leave the region, paving the way for the Republic of Texas to become an independent country. These treaties did not specifically recognize Texas as a sovereign nation, but stipulated that Santa Anna was to lobby for such recognition in Mexico City.  Sam Houston became a national celebrity, and the Texans' rallying cries from events of the war, "Remember the Alamo!" and "Remember Goliad!," became etched into Texan history and legend.  Most have heard "Remember the Alamo!" and may even know well of the story, but not so much of "The Goliad Massacre" where the Texans at Goliad were lined up and executed by firing squad on March 27, 1836. It was Palm Sunday. Colonel James Fannin surrendered with his 400 men at Presidio La Bahia. A week later they were marched out and executed by firing squad.
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Moderator
 United States
190135 Posts |
Wow, you have been busy! Good stuff.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
Seems I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque, maybe I'll work my way up the Oregon Trail?
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Moderator
United States
190135 Posts |
Sounds good to me.  |
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
It's the weekend! That means I might be bale to make a couple more posts on San Diego Coinarama Medals. Now that the protected species series is done, we will explore some items that may be more "San Diego." The 1989 medal commemorates the San Diego and Coronado Island Ferry.  I've wrote about the Ferry before, "When the Coronado Bridge was completed in 1969, all ferry and similar alternative methods to driving over the bridge, or around the bay were outlawed, as a way to force people to use the Bridge. The toll to Coronado was $1.20 (free to return to San Diego) and was used to pay back the bonds that were used to pay for construction. In 1986, when the bridge was paid for, tolls were ended, and it opened a possibility for ferry service to resume." The Ferry and subsequent bridge were used to eliminate the 45+ minutes it took to get to Coronado by driving around the south end of San Diego Bay and Harbor. The medal shows one of the original car carrying ferries used to bring people to and from Coronado. The newer ferry service is for pedestrians and cyclists only. Mintage: Silver - 98, with some being unsold and then melted for future releases (yet to see one) Bright Bronze - 150 Oxidized Bronze - 150 Aluminum - 100    |
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
The 1990 Coinarama medal celebrates the opening of the San Diego Convention Center in downtown San Diego in 1989.  Openend in November 1989, the San Diego Convention Center has helped to reinvigorate a previous blighted area of San Diego's Downtown area. Since the Convention Center was opened, new high rise hotels and apartment buildings, along with Petco Park have been built near it. The historic Gaslamp Quarter was also revitalized. Home to many large conventions and sales events such as a multi annual home show, the Convention Center is most well known for housing San Diego's Comic Con, one of the largest and most important comic conventions in the world. The medal shows the convention center from across the bay. Mintages: Silver - 68; though some were unsold and melted for future releases (have not seen one) Bright Bronze - 250 Oxidized Bronze - 200 Other metals - less than 10   |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
Excellent write up. I like those Ferry Tokens, good to have you back. It was getting kind of spooky in here.
One of these days you are going to post one of those rare "Silver" versions.
Thanks for your contribution.
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Working on the complete set for Coinarama, but also my first coin club. I'll have a number of the silver (and some of the lead proofs) for those. As for the coinarama silver medals, ill focus on those after I get the ones from my club completed.
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Also released by the council in 1990, was a medal in regards to the ANA convention held in San Diego. It commemorates Mission San Diego de Alcala.  Founded in 1769, San Diego's mission was the first of Upper California's missions, and founded by Father Juniper Serra.Named for Saint Didacus of Alcala (commonly called San Diego), who was famed for being a missionary to the newly colonized Canary Islands. The mission was, along with San Diego's Presidio, the first settlement to be used to Russian furriers and colonists that they would not lose their land in Upper California easily. The current church building, the fifth in the history of the mission site, was built in early 1800's. It is a Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, and was designated as a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI. The medal shows the front of the mission including the 5-bell tower. Mintages: Silver - 92, some being melted because of poor sales, and used for future releases (haven't seen one) Oxidized Bronze - 400 Other metals - less than 10  |
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
The 1991 coinarama medal celebrates Omar the Elephant's "first" birthday. I do not have a picture of Omar. The first Asian Elephant born at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Omar was just the third Asian Elephant born into captivity. Omar was quickly rejected by his mother. Keepers attempted to care for the young elephant, but were unsuccessful. Omar died before his first birthday. Mintages: Silver - 90 (haven't seen one) Bright Copper - 90 (not sure why, but the photo link isn't working for this one) Oxidized Copper - 90 Bronze - 225 Other metals - less than 10   Edited by Griffin Coins
04/14/2018 4:44 pm
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
The 1992 medal commemorates the 500th Anniversary of Columbus' "Discovery of America."  There are many controversies regarding Columbus' treatment of the natives and of his charges, not to mention questions about the validity of his discovery of a place that had been discovered by at least one previous explorer, misunderstanding where he had landed, and on if you can really discover a place that people were already living; it was his voyage to try to find a western passage to the far east that led to the beginnings of European colonization and exploration of the Americas. The medal shows the head of Columbus. Mintages: Silver 75 (haven't see one) Bright Bronze - 215 Oxidized Bronze - 75 Copper - 75 Aluminum - 34 (awarded to volunteers and exhibitors - some were destroyed when not given out) Two other metals - 3 of each (not sure what metals)    |
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Valued Member
United States
110 Posts |
Another non-San Diego specific medal, the 1993 Coinarama medal celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the first scheduled air mail flight.  May 15, 1918 was when the first scheduled air mail flight occurred. There were three planes that day, one frying from Washington, DC to New York, and 2 flying the opposite direction. The first DC pilot, however made a mistake and starting flying south. When he realized he had made a mistake, he quickly landed to try to find his bearings. He hit the foreground harder than expected, and with the extra 140 pounds of mail on board, the plane flipped over and damaged it's propeller. The bags of mail had to be returned to Washington, DC by truck. The air mail service does have a slight link to San Diego. It's original head was Major Ruben H. Fleet. After retiring from the Army (and its air mail service). Fleet began an aeronautical company in 1923. After a few years, his company (Consolidated) began testing and building seaplanes. When looking for a more hospitable place to utilize the marine environment for these planes, he relocated his company from Buffalo, NY to San Diego in 1935. Consolidated, and its later iterations (Consolidated-Vultee and Convair) were major employers in San Diego from pre-WWII until a few decades after the war. In 1961, Fleet founded the San Diego Aerospace Museum. In 1973, the Fleet family were the initial donors into what we become the Ruben H. Fleet science center and theater, one of the best children's science museums in the country. The medal shows a Curtiss Jenny plane. Mintages: Silver - 75 (haven't seen one) Copper - 75 Bright Bronze - 215 Oxidized Bronze - 75 Aluminum - 50 (awarded to volunteers and exhibitors, some were destroyed after not being awarded) 2 Other metals - 3 of each (not sure what metal was used)    |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
I remember that Omar the Elephant story.  Hey, if you happen to find one of these with coinage alignment instead of medal alignment would you have ... An Inverted Jenny |
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Replies: 5,870 / Views: 443,150 |
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Posted 04/13/2018 1:34 pm
