War Hero

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Two months after the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain. At the time, Admiral George Dewey was a little-known naval officer, but that changed on May 1 when, as commander of the Asiatic Squadron, he sailed into Manila Bay. In just a few hours, he succeeded in capturing or sinking the entire Spanish Pacific fleet with no loss of American lives.

American Hero

Overnight, Dewey became the hero of a grateful nation. Large celebrations and parades were held in several major cities in 1898 and 1899, and, as you might imagine, an extensive variety of souvenirs bearing his image was manufactured for sale at these events. These items included clocks, glassware and china, lithographed portraits, postcards, flags and banners, pinback buttons and stickpins, and, of course, tokens, medals, and badges. The prestigious New York silversmith, Tiffany and Company, even got in on the souvenir business, extensively advertising a sterling silver spoon “with a fine portrait of the Admiral in relief” for $2.50.

In New York City, organizers started making plans for a celebration shortly after the war ended, and September 28-30, 1899, was set for the date. The event was going to be spectacular, and by all accounts the organizers succeeded beyond their expectations. One of the many attractions was the Dewey Triumphal Arch, a structure conceived by the National Sculpture Society and modeled after the Arch of Titus in Rome. It was designed by Charles R. Lamb, a well-known architect. Located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 24th Street, the monument rose 100 feet in the air. It took 40 men to construct and wasn’t completed until the 29th, just in time for a huge parade to pass through its 30-foot opening the next day. 

Medallic Mementos

William S. Dewey, a direct descendant of the famous admiral and a former ANA librarian, was an avid collector of Dewey-related memorabilia. He wrote “Medallic Mementos of the Dewey Arch in New York,” which was published in the October 1988 issue of the TAMS Journal. He describes the monument in detail and catalogs three medals that were sold as souvenirs during the celebration. One of them, illustrated herein, is a shield-shaped 34x47mm medal suspended from a brass pinback with SOUVENIR across it. The arch is depicted in the center, with Dewey’s bust facing right in a small circle above it. TRIUMPHAL ARCH/NEW YORK/1899 is below, with WELCOME HERO and SEPT. 28-30 in the field. The medal’s reverse is blank except for the die-sinker’s signature, SCHWABB S. & S. CO/MILWAUKEE. At least three varieties exist, suggesting that its mintage was substantial.

At patriotic celebrations such as this, medal badges, most of which could be worn on a lapel or shirt, were great sellers because they were inexpensive. They were also small and lightweight, which made them popular with souvenir vendors. The lower-priced ones were usually uniface, since that eliminated the need to cut a special reverse die and thus were less expensive to produce.

Celluloid Medal

One of the most unusual items issued in conjunction with the New York celebration was a 53mm medal that was made of celluloid with a metal rim. A small bust of Dewey appears on the obverse, with an American flag to the left and the flag of an admiral to the right. In the center below is a warship, with a sinking ship on fire to the right. The dates of the celebration are below, with TO AMERICA’S HERO around the bottom. A rotating disc on the reverse enabled the user to view a schedule of events for the 29th and 30th.

Although unmarked, the medal was almost certainly manufactured by the Whitehead and Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. This company also produced three varieties of medals advertising the World Time Company of New York City. They are the same size and composition as the arch medal and feature a bust of Dewey on one side. The other side features a rotating disc that provides the hour in cities around the world. On two of them the manufacturer’s signature appears in tiny letters. It seems logical to assume that these “America’s Hero” medals were issued for sale at the New York, and possibly other, Dewey celebrations.

Affordable Artistry

The September 21 issue of The World newspaper included classified ads of more than 25 manufacturers and distributors of Dewey souvenirs, and many of them mentioned medals and badges. One of them, the Plaget Manufacturing Company, was seeking agents to sell “Dewey medals, artistic, elegant, patented, 10c and 25c.” During the celebration, salesmen could be found at most street corners hawking their wares. Today, Dewey medals and badges are still popular with collectors and, for the most part, are still reasonably priced. The illustrated pieces were selected as representative examples of the many souvenirs produced.

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 July 2026 issue of The Numismatist (money.org)

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