Commems Collection Medals: 2006 National Museum Of The Marine Corps

In August 2004, President George W. Bush signed into law the Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act" which called for silver dollars to be struck "in commemoration of the 230th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, and to support construction of the Marine Corps Heritage Center." The coin was struck in 2005.

The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation ("Foundation") was a named beneficiary in the coin Act. A primary project of the Foundation was the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps as the centerpiece of the Heritage Center; the continued expansion of the Heritage Center and Museum, and its overall maintenance, is also within the purview of the Foundation. The mission of the Museum is to preserve and exhibit the material history of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1775 to the present (work continues on fulfilling the mission). The Heritage Center and Museum is located in Triangle, VA, next to Marine Corps Base Quantico.

Construction on the Museum began in 2004. To aid in celebrating its dedication and opening on November 10, 2006, a bronze medal was struck. The obverse of the medal depicts the public entrance to the Museum, with the Museum's soaring spire, meant to be symbolic of the Marine Corps' flag raising on Mt. Surabachi on Iwo Jima, rising in the background - it is a distinguishing feature of the Museum building. (The flag-raising scene is depicted on the commemorative silver dollar, see links below.) The medal's reverse design presents the Marine Corps emblem at its center, with the inscriptions "UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS" and "SEMPER FIDELIS" ("ALWAYS FAITHFUL") encircling the emblem at the rim.

The bronze medal is 1-3/4" in diameter and has a lightly antiqued finish. Following is the medal inserted into the original dedication information card:




For more on the related Marine Corps Silver dollar and the Mt. Surabachi flag-raising, see:

- 2005 Marine Corps Anniversary Coin & Stamp Set
- 2005 Marine Corps Anniversary - Places on Coins Thread
- 2005 Marine Corps Anniversary - Stars on Coins Thread