Sea Service

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In November 5, 1902, the Navy League of the United States was formally inaugurated during the annual meeting of the Naval Order of the United States, which was held at the New York City Yacht Club. The idea of a navy league was hardly new; a similar organization had been active in Great Britain for eight years, and Germany had formed one in 1898. Both groups had been extremely successful in educating the public on the benefits of supporting a strong navy. Several prominent Americans, including President Theodore Roosevelt, advocated the creation of a similar league in America. At the meeting, Rear Admiral Albert Barker remarked: 

“As the navy of the United States is going to be one of the great navies of the world, this league will be of the greatest interest to the people generally, and will be an important adjunct to the navy itself. Another reason for its formation is to enlighten people in the interior on naval matters and tell them what a navy means to the country, and what it ought to mean to them.”

Naval Affairs

The new organization’s articles of incorporation stated that its purpose was to

“acquire and spread before the citizens of the United States, through branch organizations or otherwise, information as to the condition of the naval forces and equipment of the United States and to awaken public interest and co-operation in all matters tending to aid, improve, and develop their efficiency.”

Membership was open to anyone with an interest in naval affairs. By 1907 about 5,000 people had joined, and nearly 80 branches had been established throughout the country.

The year 1910 marked the first time the group didn’t hold its annual convention in Washington, D.C. The Nicholas Biddle Chapter in Philadelphia hosted the event. By this time, the Navy League had grown to 6,300 members, including President William Taft, Admiral George Dewey, and J.P. Morgan. One of the celebrities in attendance was Commander Robert E. Peary, who had returned from his eighth Arctic expedition the previous year and had been credited with being the first person to reach the North Pole. (This claim was debunked in the late 1980s.) 

Strong Navy 

In 1911 the convention was in Los Angeles, and the following year it returned to Washington, D.C. The main agenda item was alerting the public to the importance of maintaining a strong naval force and demanding that Congress appropriate whatever money was needed to build two new battleships a year. Several hundred members and guests attended the annual banquet at the Willard Hotel. The speakers decried the House Democrats’ recent decision to not build any battleships that year. The league’s position was that a strong navy was vital to the country’s security in case of war, and that a minimum of two (preferably four) new battleships a year were needed.

 On the second day of the convention, the featured speaker was President Taft. He told attendees that he was definitely in favor of constructing more battleships. He hoped Congress would authorize their construction and assured the audience that he would be glad to sign such a bill if it reached his desk. Taft’s support of the Navy League’s position was timely; World War I started just two years later, and in 1917 the United States declared war against Germany.

Brass Badge

Membership badges are an integral part of conventions. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, they frequently consisted of hanging badges. The one issued for the 1912 convention was a 43mm gilt brass medal with blue enameling. NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES curves around a design consisting of crossed anchors, with a small raised circle in the center, on which there is a small anchor and
U S/N L. The reverse is blank except for the die-sinker’s signature: THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO./NEWARK. N.J. The medal is suspended from a blue ribbon that is attached to a brass top pinback bar in the shape of the United States Capitol dome with WASHINGTON, D.C./FEB. 22-24, 1912 below. The overall length of the badge is approximately 100mm.

Most badges such as this are scarce, since the number manufactured usually corresponded with the number of expected attendees. Probably only a few hundred were produced for the 1912 Navy League convention, and I imagine a significant percentage of them were discarded over the next 10 or 20 years. Nonetheless, when they appear on the marketplace, they usually sell for very modest amounts. I recently was able to purchase the badge illustrated on p. 55 for the $20 starting bid, since nobody else placed a bid.

Collector’s Items

In recent years, challenge coins have become very popular collector’s items. Those with an interest in Navy League pieces have quite a few to choose from. They are typically enameled brass and somewhat larger than a silver dollar. I did a quick online search and found them from the following districts: Alameda, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Oakland, Pacific Central, Santa Barbara, and Tampa (pictured). Undoubtedly, there are many others.The Navy League is still going strong. Its website states that for more than a century, it has been  “a voice for maritime strength, engaging the public and Congress on the vital role these services play in national security, economic prosperity, and global stability. Through membership, we unite those who are committed to supporting the sea services, advocating for a strong maritime defense, and building a community that stands behind those who serve at sea.”

I welcome readers’ comments. Write to me at P.O. Box 2866, La Plata, MD 20646. If a reply is desired, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 

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A version of this article appears in the October 2025 issue of The Numismatist (money.org)