I have decided to thin my flotilla of U.S. Constellation ship coins. Over the years, I enjoyed several visits to the Constellation with my dad. It is a wonderfully preserved National Historic Landmark, and I highly recommend a visit if you are in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore. As promised on the original order form, the bearer of each medal is entitled to free lifetime admission aboard the U.S.S. Constellation and to the adjacent museum exhibits. The colorful history of these coins is also quite interesting, and the sailing ship design is visually pleasing.
Very nice examples are available for $35; serviceable specimens are available for $20, which is less than the price of a day pass aboard the ship.
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The U.S. Frigate Constellation coins were issued in Baltimore, MD during the 1950s to fund the restoration of the Civil War ship U.S.S. Constellation. She was the last sail-only warship commissioned by the U.S. Navy. The coins were designed by Edward L. Christle and then struck by the Bastian Brothers Co. of Rochester, NY. The metal used in the coins was claimed to include copper spikes from the original U.S. Constellation, one of the six frigates authorized by Congress and President George Washington in 1794, and launched in Baltimore in 1797. Partly as a result of the funding drive, the restoration of the Civil War era U.S.S. Constellation was eventually completed. The restored ship and museum now reside in Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD. Possession of this coin entitles the bearer to free admission to the ship. As of 2024, the free admission is still being honored aboard the Constellation (and having toured the ship myself several times, it is absolutely worth a visit!).
This U.S. Constellation coin is accompanied by a paper document that shows a copy of the original marketing slip, a wallet-sized information card, and a two-sided brochure. Original versions of these three vintage documents are not part of this sale.
Brandmeister1776 on eBay
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