Dual US-German 1975/1976 Historical Medals 0

[gmarguli]

Here is something that you don't see everyday. This 1975/1976 set of medals were simultaneously struck in the US & Germany. They celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the LZ-1's first flight coupled with a historic event for the United States.

US Side: July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence. Two days later (July 4th) delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence.

German Side: July 2, 1900, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin’s first airship, LZ-1, took an 18 minute flight over the Lake Constance in Germany.

 

US Side: September 17, 1787, members of the Constitutional Convention sign the final draft of the Constitution.

German Side: The 1936-1937 transatlantic journeys of the LZ-130's, including the Hindenburg, pictured flying over Manhattan. 

 

US Side:  Depicting the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, waged February to June 1862, during the Civil War. These engagements catapulted Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson from obscurity to the first rank. The victory was not only of strategic importance, but provided a huge morale boost to South during a time the Confederacy had suffered through many defeats. 

German Side: Shenandoah is Native American for "Daughter of the Stars". The ZR-1 was the American Navy's first attempt to develop an airship similar to the German Zeppelin L-49. The Shenandoah first flew September 1923 and was destroyed September 1925, over Ohio, by a violent updraft of wind that carried it higher than its pressure limits. 

 

According to the Hans Kaiser book, these were minted in bronze, silver, and gold. The bronze and silver each had 5,000 minted and the gold had 1,000 minted. I have no idea how rare they actually are. I've found a few bronze that have sold or are for sale. Can't find any examples of silver or gold selling. I suspect many of the gold and silver were melted over the years.

 

 

[Just Bob]

This is the first time I've ever seen any of these. Love the rainbow toning on the German side.

Leave it to you to come up with something this unusual. 

[RWB]

"Birth of a Nation" then one memorializing an attempt to destroy the nation. Pointless mules.

Edited December 17, 2021 by RWB