These are medals awarded by President Eisenhower while serving his presidential tenure.
Image is of the 38.1 mm (US silver dollar size) Class 2 medals awarded by President Eisenhower. There are a total of 5 classes. Class 1 through 4 were awarded by President Eisenhower. Class 5 was awarded by President Kennedy. There are a total of 22 medal types.
In all the medals were awarded in 26 different nations by President Eisenhower and President Kennedy.
DDE-C2-04 Japan (President Eisenhower cancelled his trip due to the Haggerty incident (White House press secretary had to be rescued from his motorcade by U.S. Marine helicopter). Medals were still awarded to individual who were preparing for President Eisenhower's arrival, stay, and tour of Japan)).
DDE-C2-05 State of Alaska Philippines Formosa (aka Taiwan or Republic of China)
DDE-C2-06 South Korea
DDE-C2-07 State of Hawaii
DDE-C2-08 State of Rhode Island (Newport, RI is President Eisenhower's Summer White House in the year 1960)
These medals are unique in that it played a role in President Eisenhower tenure in office. The video is of President Eisenhower in South America and where the DDE-C2-01 medal was awarded.
The attribute that makes these medals different from other U.S. Mint medals is that they are actual award medals. They are not national medals (requires approval by US Congress) nor commemorative medals (sold by the US Mint).
This video explains the reason why President Eisenhower cancelled his trip to Japan. DDE-C2-04 (Japan) has the lowest survival population of a mere circulating population of 86. Most were awarded to those individuals preparing for President Eisenhower's arrival and tour of Japan. The unused medals were returned to the U.S. for destruction.
DDE-C2-05 was awarded to individuals in Taiwan, Philippines, and State of Alaska.
The Class 2 medal DDE-C2-02 population was decimated due to the collapse of the 1960 Paris Summit. Original mintage struck by the Philadelphia mint was 1,200. Net circulating mintage is 709. These medals were awarded in France.
The May 1, 1960 shoot down of a U-2 spy plane in the Soviet Union airspace made the Paris Summit collapse. This video sums up the 1960 Paris Summit.
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The Class 3 medals (also related to the Paris Summit). This design differs from the Class 2 medals. There are 3 gold medals (named the Head of State Medals) and 30 silver medals (named the Delegate Medals). All the gold medals were destroyed and 27 of the silver medals were destroyed.
Befitting to bump this up since the DDE-C2-02 is directly tied to the May 1, 1960 U.S. U-2 spy plane shoot down over the Soviet Union that is being depicted in the movie being release today: Bridge of Spies
Most collectors do not know the relationship of DDE-C2-02 to the collapsed of the Paris Summit and its impact to surviving mintage. 1,200 originally struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Exact survival figure is 709. 491 were destroyed just prior to President Eisenhower end of 2nd term.
Here is additional research findings I presented at the 2015 World's Fair of Money during my scheduled Money Talk session back in August.
This is the document that aided me in documenting the general numismatic information for DDE-C2-02. Note where the medal was delivered from.
There are other documents that identify the exact melting of DDE-C2-02 just prior to President Eisenhower's second term. The resultant net mintage of 709 is based on these memos.
There are also 2 additional medals directly impacted by the U-2 spy plane events: DDE-C3-01 (gold) and DDE-C3-02 (silver). There are known as the:
1960 Eisenhower Paris Summit - Heads of State Award Medal 1960 Eisenhower Paris Summit - Delegate Award Medal
My MoneyTalks presentation at the 2015 ANA World's Fair of Money in Chicago is available on DVD for borrowing from the ANA library. Yesterday, I received 4 personal copies to distribute to local coin clubs.
The mintage for each of the 22 Presidential Medal of Appreciation is revealed for the first time (in presentation format) to the ANA membership. Otherwise, you must purchase my book to know the mintage and other general numismatic information.
In my opinion, numismatic discoveries can be classified into three categories:
Category 1 Discovery: Previously undocumented variety/error was identified (and general numismatic information is available for the series).
Category 2 Discovery: Previously undocumented hoard was identified (and general numismatic information is available for the series and/or series).
Category 3 Discovery: Previously undocumented series was identified (and general numismatic information is not available for the series).
Typical modern numismatic discoveries are Category 1 or Category 2. To the best of my knowledge, a modern Category 3 discovery has never made until the discovery of the Presidential Medal of Appreciation™ series.
A modern "Category 3 Discovery" requires further explanation, as several naysayers in this hobby do not appreciate the difference between "cataloging of an item for sale for the first time" versus "documenting a series for the first time".
The "cataloging of an item for sale for the first time" will be based on visual feedback from inspecting the numismatic item(s). As an example, inspecting an item will reveal its dimension, weight, strike, and any unfortunate handling marks. As for the metal content, it will be a guess unless a metallurgical assay is performed. The designer, minter, mintage, and purpose of the numismatic item(s) are definitely unknown and the cataloger can only render guesses. It will also be impossible for the cataloger to identify all numismatic items belonging in the series and will only make a guess based on the items in physical possession. As a result, the cataloger will end up with a speculative opinion without hard facts. This definitely is not a "Category 3 Discovery".
The "documenting a series for the first time" will be based on a criteria of four:
1. Locating historical records directly relating to the previously undocumented numismatic item(s). 2. Performing research on the located historical records to identify and document general numismatic information about the entire series and all individual numismatic items that compose the complete series. 3. Locating other evidence that support the research findings of the discovery. 4. Sharing the research findings and its supporting evidence to the entire numismatic community.
I believe that I have irrefutably made the initial discovery of the Presidential Medal of Appreciation™ series.
I have undeniably documented the complete series in detail and for the first time ever for the numismatic community.
I have identified:
1. Each medal belonging in the series 2. The designer(s) 3. The minter 4. The purpose of the medal series 5. Authorization for striking 6. Exact mintage struck by the Bureau of the Mint 7. Exact mintage destroyed by the Treasury Department 8. Why the medals were destroyed 9. Exact surviving mintage left in circulation 10. Why the series was hidden for over 5 decades 11. And numerous other historical facts
For the first time ever, the numismatic community now has an established set of general numismatic information about the Presidential Medal of Appreciation™ series and not a not simply a catalog of speculative opinion.
In closing, to the naysayers in this hobby (I rather not mention these online and print media outlets). Now you have a definition of categories for numismatic discoveries . Please use it and correctly apply it. As for my trademark for the series, the U.S. Mint has set the precedence in doing this and I am following in their footsteps.
Darryl A. Gomez, Category 3 Discoverer of the Presidential Medal of Appreciation™ series.
Quote: Out of curiosity have you had any success in your stayed desire to repatriate any of the medals?
A few medals. This is the prize so far. A previously undocumented and unknown presentation set that was obtained from a collector in France. This is a DDE-C1-02 medal that was issued in France September 2-4, 1959. Important find for numismatist, political memorabilia collectors, and US historians.
Apparently my book, blog, ANA Money Talk session, or this thread has inspired a few collectors to acquire these medals as shown in recent sales.
Here is a new quote from me:
"These are not U.S. Commemorative medals, but in fact are actual genuine presidential artifacts and must be treated as historical treasures from the President of the United States of America. After 57 years of being uncataloged, these medals now have well documented general numismatic information, newly identified unconventional chain of production (White House Office to U.S. Mint to Philadelphia Mint), and the most important feature of them all: an established provenance to a U.S. President while serving his elected term in office."
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Posted 09/06/2015 9:22 pm
