The Hudson-Fulton Celebration Medal
The Hudson–Fulton Celebration from September 25 to October 9, 1909, in New York and New Jersey was an elaborate commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River and the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s first successful commercial use of the paddle steamer. The maritime achievements of Hudson and Fulton foreshadowed the river’s importance to New York’s progress and identity. Organizers used the event to celebrate the success of the two men, the status of New York City as a world city, and the achievements of its citizens.
The Celebration’s Events
The celebration honored the memories of Hudson and Fulton by replicating Hudson’s Half Moon and Fulton’s Clermont. The sailboat and steamship replicas each sailed on the river. Both vessels were newly replicated, displayed, and dedicated with great fanfare, and both appeared in the celebration’s grand naval parade of American and foreign warships, emphasizing the United States’ maritime supremacy in the Western hemisphere. The event also displayed the different modes of transportation at that time. The famous RMS Lusitania represented the newest advancement in steamship technology and was on display in 1909, six years before German U-boat U-20 sank it in 1915.
The Celebration also included public flights by Wilbur Wright, who had won world fame with demonstration flights in Europe in late 1908 and spring 1909. Using Governor’s Island as an airfield, on September 29, he flew around the Statue of Liberty. On October 4, he made a 33-minute flight over the Hudson River to Grant’s Tomb and back, allowing an estimated 1 million New Yorkers to see the brothers’ first airplane flight.
Educational Goals
Although Hudson’s and Fulton’s achievements were the foundation of the celebration, the commission used the event to emphasize the history of New York City and the state, from the past Native American communities in the area to the metropolitan city of 1909. The celebration’s Historical Parade illustrated this narrative by depicting four periods of New York history: the Native American period, the Dutch period, the English or colonial period, and the American or modern period.
Education was an important event goal and a distinct focus of the Celebration Commission. The Historical Parade, for example, was a way for the commission to teach the diverse population demographics of New York City, many of whom were recent immigrants, about the history of both the United States and the city where they now lived.
Collectibles Abound
Local merchants and manufacturers used the celebration to promote their businesses and the event. There were many trinkets, knickknacks, and such made for both locals and tourists. Because of this, Hudson-Fulton memorabilia is still widely available in all price ranges. A quick eBay search for “Hudson Fulton” recently returned 1,860 items. Of that, 502 were for stamps, 930 were postcards, and over 400 items included medals and tokens.
Many exhibitions and other events appeared on postage stamps of the day, and the Hudson-Fulton Celebration was no different. By far the most available collectibles from the celebration are postcards. There were at least hundreds of designs, and there is even a book on the subject. While it isn’t a clean catalog of the postcards, it does give a basic overview of the subject.
Other paper items available to collectors are programs, books, posters, and trading cards. For trading card collectors, there is a series of Turkey Red tobacco cards that feature scenes related to the celebration.
The Hudson-Fulton Celebration Medals
As for numismatic items, the American Numismatic Society (ANS) commissioned the Hudson-Fulton Celebration medal to coincide with the 1909 event. These were available in multiple sizes in silver, gold, brass, aluminum, and white metal. This first piece is 102mm (4 inches) in diameter and is 11.7 ounces of sterling silver. It happens to be the first piece of Hudson-Fulton memorabilia that I purchased. I guess you could say that I started big.
Officially, there is no obverse or reverse. Per the ANS website,
By reason of the importance and distinctive character of each design, neither supplementing the other, and because the events commemorated occurred two hundred years apart, the faces of the medal do not properly come under the customary designation of obverse and reverse. There is no reverse to describe or illustrate the obverse; each side is complete by itself. Chronologically the Hudson side would be the obverse and the Fulton side the reverse. Practically this technical relation will change according to the artistic tastes or sympathies of the observer. In order to facilitate the exhibition and examination of each side, from time to time, as may be desired, some of the cases prepared by the Commission for the presentation examples have been made to hang or stand, so that the medal may be reversed in position.
The ANS only issued the 76mm (3-inch) version. The Hudson-Fulton Celebration Committee adopted this design as its official medal. The committee issued the piece in various sizes and metals, as shown in the table. Two gold versions were struck and presented to the presidents of the ANS and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. An additional eight medals were struck in virgin Alaskan gold for presentation to the heads of nations represented by warships at the Hudson-Fulton celebration. The edge of each was engraved “To the Government of (name of nation) from the Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission, September 25–October 9, 1909. A token of Friendship and Appreciation.” These medals were housed in leather cases, suitably stamped, and bound in book form with hand-tooled covers.
| Size & Metal | Mintage | Issue Price |
|---|---|---|
| 4″ Silver | 1,000 (342 returned to Whitehead & Hoag) | $10 |
| 4″ Bronze | 1,250 | $2 |
| 4″ Bronze in Halves | 900 | |
| 3″ Gold | 11 | |
| 3″ Silver | 100 | |
| 2 1/2” Silver | 1,000 | $4 |
| 2 1/2” Bronze | 2,200 | |
| 2″ Silver | 2,750 | |
| 2″ Aluminum | 30,000 | $0.25 |
| 1 1/2” Silver | 176 | |
| 1 1/4” Silver | 44 | |
| 1 1/4” Silver Plated Special | 20,200 | |
| 1 1/4” Silver Plated | 60,000 | $0.10 |
As mentioned, education was an important goal of the celebration committee. The chart shows 900 4-inch bronze medals issues in halves. Most, if not all, of these were issued to educational institutes in the state of New York. They were mounted on a wooden board with a label on the back advertising the celebration. These are often for sale, usually at very reasonable prices.
The Engraver
Emil Fuchs engraved the ANS medal. He was an Austrian and American sculptor, medalist, painter, and author who worked in Vienna, London, and New York. He painted portraits of Queen Victoria and Edward VII and was fashionable among London’s high society in the early 20th century. Fuchs is best known for his sculptures and paintings of those in high society. His work is on display at the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Library of Congress, among other places.
Unfortunately, the entry for Emil Fuchs on Wikipedia fails to mention this medal, although there is mention of him creating the ANS’s 50th-anniversary medal in 1908.
Other Collectibles
In addition to the ANS-designed medal, various organizations produced several other medals for a multitude of purposes. Some of these appear in the So-Called Dollar reference books. I find the medal produced by Tiffany & Co. to be particularly appealing. These were issued to residents who submitted essays for a contest held in conjunction with the celebration. Also produced were pinbacks in a range of sizes and medals for suspension, produced by numerous organizations for many purposes.
One of the more unusual pieces in my collection is silver, about 4 inches long and fairly thin. It shows obvious signs of use. It has been suggested that it was intended to be used as a bookmark. That is plausible, in my opinion.
The Numismatist recently did an article on Whitehead and Hoag. The firm was a leader in manufacturing promotional materials, including medals and tokens. Whitehead and Hoag produced most of the official medals for this celebration.
The Hunt
I have been collecting the medals and other items of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration for at least 10 years. During that time, the 3-inch silver version eluded me. I had never even seen one for sale. As the earlier chart shows, only 100 were produced and only for ANS members.
Several national dealers in medals and tokens were helping me look and knew what my intended maximum price was. To my surprise and delight, one recently showed up on eBay. The price was so reasonable that it would have been silly of me to pass it up. I couldn’t click “Buy It Now” fast enough. My delight was slightly muted on arrival. This medal has had a rough life. It is far from perfect and shows evidence of cleaning. That was disappointing to see, but when I considered what I was willing to pay and compared it to what I did pay, I couldn’t be happier.
I contacted the ANS and asked if they could check their records on who purchased this medal. They responded surprisingly quickly. I’d like to thank David Hill and Jesse Kraft for their help. New York banker Isaac Newton Seligman, a name unfamiliar to me, purchased medals 46 and 47.
Isaac Newton Seligman
In 1878, after a two-year apprenticeship in the firm of Seligman & Hellman in New Orleans, he joined the New York branch and became head of the firm in 1885 after the deaths of his father Joseph Seligman and his brother.
Seligman was a part of many of the important social reform committees in New York. He was a trustee of 19 important institutions and societies, some commercial and financial. Seligman was a member of the Committee of Seventy, of Fifteen, and of Nine, each of which attempted at various times to reform municipal government in New York. He served as the chairman of the Committee of Nine. Seligman was a trustee of Temple Emanu-El, the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, and the United Hebrew Charities. He was also a member of the Ethical Culture Society.
Seligman died in 1917 after falling from his horse while riding from his summer home in Irvington, New York, to work in New York City. His estate, between $15 million and $20 million (and potentially this medal) went to his son and widow. He made charitable gifts of $100,000.
The most interesting thing to me was the location of Seligman’s business—1 William Street is a historic office building in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The building has had several names over the years. Originally, it was the J. & W. Seligman & Company Building, and it later became the Lehman Brothers Building. Currently, it is the Banca Commerciale Italiana Building.
A Complete Collection
With the acquisition of the 3-inch silver medal, I consider my collection to be complete. I know that the 3-inch gold medal, even if I ever found one, is financially out of my reach. To start with, it’s over 10 ounces of gold, and only dignitaries received one. However, I have collected a lot of related items. There are over 100 postcards in my collection, as well as the complete set of Hudson-Fulton Celebration Turkey Red trading cards. I even purchased a branded Zither. Why, you ask? I saw it and couldn’t say no. This is a fun topic to collect, and there are thousands of items available in all price ranges.