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REF Thread: Sampson Medal (West Indies Naval Campaign Medal, 1898)


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stratasfan
Message added by stratasfan,

To view many original Sampson medals, click here to view the "SAMPSON MEDAL SHOWCASE" thread.

 

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The act of 3 March 1901, provides: "that the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause to be struck bronze medals commemorative of the naval and other engagements in the waters of the West Indies and on the shores of Cuba during the War with Spain, and to distribute the same to the officers and men of the Navy and Marine Corps who participate in any of said engagements deemed by him of sufficient importance to deserve commemoration."

 

The commemorative medal was issued to members of the Navy and Marine Corps who took part in West Indies naval operations from April 27 to August 14, 1898.

 

[Historical note: The front was designed by Charles E. Barber and shows a bust of Admiral William Sampson. The back was designed by George T. Morgan. At the top of the ribbon is a brooch pin with the name of the recipient's ship. Additional matching engagement bars were authorized and mounted on the ribbon. The medal was issued for 47 engagements or skirmishes and some were awarded with six or seven engagement bars. The recipient's name is engraved on the lower rim of the medal, this being one of only two medals officially issued named to a recipient.]

Source: 1948, 1953 U.S. Navy Awards Manual

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What appears to be a numeral 1 is actually a comma. This is commonly seen on Sampson Medals.

 

The Guntlock/Guntloch question is probably a simple error. The original rolls are hand-written, so it's an easy mistake to mis-read an H or K.

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  • 2 weeks later...
aerialbridge

The only USS New York Sampson I have is a Phase 1, all original, in a NY father and son group that I posted here before. I've wondered why he never sent his medal back for Phase III to add all the bars, since he served into the 1920s.

 

post-18406-0-47257200-1585422492_thumb.jpg

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  • 5 months later...

It's an original Phase I Sampson, with correct US Mint naming.  Obviously heavily polished and probably an replaced ribbon.  Apparently Albert didn't have his medal reworked with the 7 engagement bars the Texas was authorized in Phase 3.

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