Cornelius Vanderbilt Presentation Medal

dated 1865

CORNELIUS VANDERBILT PRESENTATION MEDAL (American, dated 1865) by Salathiel Ellis (American, 1803-1879) and Emmanuel Leutze (German American, 1816-1868). The struck bronze medal depicts on the obverse an undraped bust portrait of the Commodore (1794-1877) facing right, with the inscription:"***CORNELIUS VANDERBILT.***A GRATEFUL COUNTRY TO HER GENEROUS SON", the truncation of the bust is signed "S. ELLIS." The reverse depicts an allegorical scene of America personified as the goddess Minerva, leaning against the American shield and resting a sword on her shoulder. To the right is an American eagle, to the left a kneeling female figure representing the maritime cities imploring America for her aid and protection. In the background, the steamer Vanderbilt sails below a cloud of thunderbolts. Below this scene is the inscription "BIS DAT QUI TEMPORI DAT. {He gives twice who gives time} 1865" and inscribed above this in a smaller script is "ELLIS SC. / LEUTZE DEL."

This medal was commissioned by an act of Congress approved on January 28th, 1864 in recognition of his gift of his steamship "Vanderbilt" to the Union cause in March of 1862. The "Vanderbilt", said by the Commodore to have been built at a cost of approximately $1,000,000.00 was pledged to President Lincoln by the Commodore in order to prevent the Confederate steamer Merrimac from coming out of the harbor of Norfolk, Virginia.

American

bronze

3" x 3"

Gift of Mr. Edward K. Sherman, 2001.

PSNC.9784