A Continuing Thread ~ Post Your Tokens, Medals, Exonumia Acquisitions

Very fun indeed!

The 2004 Coinarama medal celebrates the California Grizzly Bear



A sort of mascot for man's destruction of habitat and environment, the Grizzly Bear has been a symbol of California for a ling time. A subspecies of the North American Brown Bear, California Grizzlies have been extinct since 1924. Grizzlies once roamed from Northern Mexico to the northernmost tips of North America, and from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Lakes. Today, their territory ranges from Alaska, to the Western Provinces of Canada, and dipping down into parts of Montana, Idaho, and Washington. There are also sightings in Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks in Wyoming. They are omnivorous, with their diet being adapted to where they live: fish; clams; large mammals; small mammals; birds and eggs; berries; grass; scavenged carrion including washed up whales; beans; and insects are all on the menu.

The California Grizzly was a nuisance to farming and ranching settlers as they moved to California in the mid 19th Century. The bears would attack and eat livestock. As ranches would extend into the bears habitat, humans had to worry about the alpha predator. This lead to bears being hunted as a nuisance. The last California Grizzly killed was in 1922. One more grizzly was spotted in 1924 in Sequoia National Park, and never seen again.

California's flag features a bear, and its inspiration was that of the Bear Flag Republic, who attempted the first independence of California from Mexico in 1846. Th current California flag was adopted in 1911.



It is strange that the California Grizzly was admired for its beauty size and strength, enough so that it was featured on its 1846 and 1911 flags, its place on the state seal in 1849, and its use as the mascot for the state's higher education (University of California, Berkeley). Strange in that the state all but encouraged the killing of this "noble creature." In 1953, this extinct animal was made the official state animal in 1953.

Thanks Griff! That's some collection of San Diego club medals and such you have!

You guys may know how I wanted an Annie Oakley medal. Well, they don't come up often and when a better one that I have wanted shows up, I'll probably grab it but for now I have this pair.

ANNIE OAKLEY

(This image will be replaced by a better one in the near future)
One of my favorite movies is "Annie Get Your Gun" starring Betty Hutton as Annie Oakley. A story very loosely based on the love story of Annie Oakley and Frank Butler who meet at a shooting match. Fabulous music although the lead characters have little to do with the actual historical figures.

( Yes, I own this 8x10 picture too! LOL )

The Real
Annie Oakley - Born Phoebe Ann Mosey August 13, 1860 was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter.
Her "amazing talent" first came to light at 15 years old, when she won a shooting match, against traveling-show marksman Frank E. Butler, whom she later married. The couple joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show a few years later. Oakley became a renowned international star, performing before royalty and heads of state.

Annie Oakley was Sitting Bull's symbolically "adopted" daughter. Sitting Bull felt that she was "gifted" by supernatural means in order to shoot so accurately with both hands. He named her "Little Sure Shot" - a name that Oakley used throughout her career.
Oakley's worldwide stardom as a sharpshooter enabled her to earn more money than most of the other performers in the Buffalo Bill show.
She did not forget her roots after gaining financial and economic power. She and Butler together often donated to charitable organizations for orphans.
Beyond her monetary influence, she proved to be a great influence on women.
Oakley urged that women serve in war, though President McKinley rejected her offer of woman sharpshooters for service in the Spanish-American War.
She believed that women should learn to use a gun for the empowering image that it gave.
Laura Browder discusses how Oakley's stardom gave hope to women and youth in Her Best Shot: Women and Guns In America.
Oakley pressed for women to be independent and educated.
She was a key influence in the creation of the image of the American cowgirl. Through this image, she provided substantial evidence that women are as capable as men when offered the opportunity to prove themselves

She died November 3, 1926

From my complete set of "People who made America"


My couple vintage non sports cards. 1952 Topps Look n See & 1949 Bowman Wild West. Yes ... it's coin related!

This was included in a group of stuff I recently purchased. Struck/sold by the American Mint. The COA states it is proof, silver plated copper with a sticker.

The pictures are scans instead of pictures. Man I need to work on my optimizing skills

This is the first of three 1948 C Smith so-called half dollars I have acquired that I know exist for 1948. This adds to my 8 medal 1947 collection, see earlier in this album.
The other two being "Theodore Roosevelt - San Juan Hill" and "The Battleship Maine" which I do not have. There may be an Admiral Dewey medal as well.
I mentioned these in this post.
http://goccf.com/t/301479&whichpage=35#2694586


William Thomas Sampson (February 9, 1840 - May 6, 1902) was a United States Navy rear admiral known for his victory in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

The United States declared war against Spain on April 25, 1898; and, eight days later, Admiral Cervera's fleet sailed from the Cape Verde Islands for an uncertain destination. Rear Admiral Sampson, in flagship New York, put to sea from Key West. Sampson's early involvement in the conflict included his supervision of the Cuban blockade, which lasted for the duration of the war, as well as the bombardment of the city of San Juan on May 12, 1898. After initially being sent to blockade Havana itself, Sampson was given orders to intercept Admiral Cevera's squadron, but with only a vague notion of Cevera's current location, he was unable to actively pursue. Awaiting further information on Cevera's whereabouts, Sampson sailed east to San Juan and carried out a bombardment on May 10 that lasted several days, dealing minor infrastructural damage to the city. After this preliminary bombardment, Sampson helped lead a land-sea attack on San Juan, along with General William Shafter, taking the city. On July 1, following the successful invasion, Sampson returned to Cuba, reinforcing the blockades in Santiago and Cienfuegos.

On May 29, Elements of Sampson's command spotted Admiral Cevera's squadron moving into Santiago harbor and the naval presence there was greatly increased to prevent Cevera's escape.
On the morning of July 3, 1898, Cervera's fleet came out of the harbor. Sampson was ashore at a conference with General Shafter, making plans for a coordinated attack on Santiago.
Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley was in command of the Flying Squadron in Sampson's absence and met the Spanish fleet, completely destroying every Spanish vessel in a running sea battle lasting five hours. The next day, Rear Admiral Sampson sent his famous message:




Sampson's message omitted any mention of Schley's leadership in the battle, leading to a controversy as to who was responsible for the victory.
While Sampson also arguably played a significant role in the victory, having laid down the strategic framework and determining the favorable positions of his own forces, it was of course Schley who had actually commanded the fleet during the battle.
Schley appealed for a court of inquiry, which he got in 1901.
In the Navy, the quarrel was so divisive that the rank-and-file identified themselves as either a "Schley man" or a "Sampson man."
The court of inquiry heard testimony in support of Schley by his own men and, despite some criticism of Schley, he was relieved as the commander of the Flying Squadron.

I have a couple of my latest KotCT Medals being imaged and they are trickling in;

(Same Medal, different lighting angles show different holographic images of the "lightning" coming from Merlin.)

2016 KotCT Merlin (with hologram)








(images by robec)


I am trying to splice the images to form a motion gif.

Interesting.

I only really wanted the Crazy Horse but got this 13 bronze medal set. The literature and board included for $8.00 plus shipping. Cost me about a buck a piece.
Turns out, I like the way my favorites look.
Hickok, Crazy Horse, Buffalo Bill, Geronimo, Sacagawea, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp. If I really want to spiff this up, I need a better Sitting Bull. I have a write up on Crazy Horse on the next page, I won't bore everyone with stories on all of these, but a Crazy Horse medal is rather hard to find in any form by any maker.