THE JOSEPH FRANCIS CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

Even though he had been feted by many other countries, it wasn't until 1890 that the Congressional Gold Medal was bestowed upon 89-year-old Joseph Francis by President Benjamin Harrison. This American inventor dedicated his career to producing life-saving water craft, which was made possible by his invention of a machine that mass produced corrugated metal. His vessels were employed at coastal rescue stations around the world and saved thousands of lives.

The legislation authorizing the Francis Medal was passed on August 27, 1888, and the award was subsequently designed by Zeleima Bruff Jackson and modeled by Louis Saint-Gaudens. According to correspondence from the National Archives, the Mint was instructed to make the medal as large as possible and to execute it to the highest standards. This directive was certainly carried out, as the medal had an intrinsic value of $760…and required thirty-two blows of the press (each blow estimated at 300 tons) to obtain a perfect impression of the dies.

Although the Mint sent Francis five bronze copies of the medal at no cost, he requested several additional copies for which he was to be charged. When Superintendent of the Mint Oliver C. Bosbyshell quoted a price of $9 for each additional bronze medal, Mint Director Edward O. Leech deemed it to be too high. He encouraged Bosbyshell to reduce the cost and reminded him that We are not anxious to make a profit on this business of the manufacture of medals as we are to furnish copies to numismatic and other societies at as low a price as the cost to our service will justify. Joseph Francis generously donated his Congressional Gold Medal and an example of his patented (1845) metallic life-car to the Smithsonian Institution and they reside in the National Museum of American History.

Newman Portal Project Coordinator Len Augsburger adds:

Image: Joseph Francis Congressional Gold Medal (Image Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)

Image: Francis Patent Metallic Life-car (Image Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution)

Link to ten letters regarding the Francis Medal:
https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator:%22U.S.%20Mint%22%20francis

Link to Francis Medal information in the 1890 Treasury Report:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/514742?page=240

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web