Steiff's early 1950s 50-cm mohair Kangoo Kangaroo and her 10-cm velvet Joey.

The other day, I was talking with a friend about Steiff and the tremendous range of animal species it has so elegantly and accurately produced over the 130 year long history of the company. Just for fun, she started to challenge me, asking about relatively obscure animals . . .

Had Steiff ever made a lobster? Yes!

An okapi? Yes!

How about a kiwi? Yes again!

Then, with a twinkle in her eye, she asked me to name at least two marsupials the company had ever produced, using a in a voice that really suggested that she was about to “stump the chump.”

Little did she realize that not only did I know what a marsupial was, but that I could name at least three vintage Steiff marsupials— including one “almost famous” design intended to smooth over a presidential transition! Come take a look at Steiff’s interpretation of the world’s most interesting pouched mammals—and see what makes them as intriguing as their live counterparts!

Just to start things off in a warm and fuzzy way, it is important to know the basics about marsupials. Marsupials are a small subclass of mammals, with one key difference: all females deliver their babies very prematurely and nurture them in their cozy pouches, sometimes for up to a year. The gestation time for many marsupials is only four or five weeks, and many are born in a somewhat embryonic state the size of a jellybean! All young marsupials are called “joeys,” regardless of genus or species. Today, there are only 344 species of marsupials on the planet; the vast majority of them live in Australia, New Guinea and the surrounding island nations. Only one marsupial calls North America home, but much more on that later!

Probably the best-known “pocketed pretties” are kangaroos, so let’s hop to it and take a look at Steiff’s long history of kangaroo production. Kangaroos were one of the very earliest animals produced by Steiff. As a matter of fact, the first one was produced in 1897—only five years after the company published its first catalog in 1892 and nine years before the introduction of the button-in-ear trademark in late 1904. This kangaroo was standing, unjointed, made from short pile plush, and 28 centimeters tall. In 1902, this similar pattern was also produced in felt in 12 cm, in velvet in 12 and 17 cm, and as a 12-cm pincushion. These kangaroos were very basic in design and in some ways really looked more like little mice or rats than the bouncing beauties intended.

From the early 1950s: Steiff's 10-cm velvet Joey, which came with the 50-cm Kangoo Kangaroo.

That possible case of “mistaken identity” did not last long. In 1906, Steiff updated its original kangaroo pattern to make it more lifelike; the new model was now five-ways jointed, had a robust curved tail, and a much more detailed face. The new kangaroo was produced in 35-, 43-, 50- and 120-cm and was available through 1917.

It was not until 1929 that Steiff’s kangaroos were again updated; many of these new design features remained on kangaroos through the 1970s. Most importantly, this late 1920s pattern finally included a pouch and a joey! These pre-war models were made from mohair and were manufactured in 35, 43, and 50 cm through 1939. The little joey was 10 cm and also made from mohair; interestingly, his construction consisted just of a head and body, no limbs at. He looked like an adorable bottle-stopper with a mouse-like head.

Fast forward to 1953; the factory had reopened after the war and Steiff was jumping up and down to rebuild its toy empire. They introduced Kangaroo “Kangoo,” who was very similar to the prewar design. Kangoo was made through 1966 in 14, 28, 50 and 65 cm. She was in a “begging” position, made from mohair, had golden airbrushing on her back and sides, and black airbrushing on her paw tips, ears and face. The larger versions were arm jointed; all sizes had a pouch. The 14- and 28-cm Kangoos had plastic joeys, the 50-cm size had velvet joeys and the 65-cm size had mohair joeys; all the joeys were “full body.”

A newer but quite similar kangaroo design named “Linda” took Kangoo’s place in the Steiff line from 1967 through 1974; it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between Kangoo and Linda.

Some collectors would argue that the next Steiff marsupial is of such “koala-ty” that he truly should be in a class by himself. Steiff koalas truly are “rare bears” and technically not really bears at all! The first and most famous Steiff koalas appeared in the line from 1955 through 1961 only; they were produced in 12, 22 and 35 cm. A very limited number were made during this time as well, helping to explain why they so seldom are seen on the market today.

Steiff’s koalas were very well-made and had a distinctive facial look and construction. All sizes were made from tan and light tan mohair. The smallest one was head-jointed while the medium and largest sizes were five-ways jointed. They all had pudgy, yet well-defined felt hands and feet that were gently airbrushed for authenticity. Their faces were all detailed with black and brown pupil eyes, a small black-stitched mouth, and an inlaid, flat-grey felt nose. Their ears were semi-circular and lined in long, fluffy mohair. Overall, these rare first Steiff koalas had a precious yet exotic look to them, perhaps why they are so favored by collectors all around the world today.

Two 12-cm Steiff Koalas from the mid-1950s; note the distinct appearance of each, based on their complex facial construction.

A close-up of 12-cm Steiff Koala's face and his inset felt nose.

Since 1970, Steiff has regularly featured koalas in its line, including a popular pair of 12- and 22-cm dralon joeys who were available through 1975. Most of these models were designed as soft playthings for children; at this point, none really have caught on with vintage collectors.

Our last Steiff marsupial is the only one that can be found in real life here in North America. He is none other than the opossum, sometimes referred to as a “possum.” Possums can be as small as a mouse or large as a cat—and every size in between. The word opossum comes from the Algonquian word meaning “white beast.”

Because possums are nocturnal, many people seldom if ever come across them—much like their Steiff counterparts! And Steiff possums are exceptionally rare; only two models were made at the turn of last century, and only one modern model has been produced in the last 20 years. But first a little (presidential) history.

Almost everyone knows that the Teddy bear was named for President Theodore Roosevelt and his refusal to shoot a bear cub on a 1902 hunting trip in Mississippi. Clifford Berrymore’s cartoon depicting this event was instrumental in helping to launch Teddy bears as a beloved plaything all over the world at the turn of the 20th century. When William Taft, whose nickname was “Billy Possum,” became president in 1909, many people thought that the opossum would take the place of the Teddy bear as a beloved plaything and become nationwide mascot of good will. In response to the news from Washington, Steiff produced two mohair opossums. The first was a lying, unjointed version in 12, 14 and 17 cm; it was in the line from 1909 through 1913. The second was a jointed, begging version in 17, 22 and 28 cm; it was in the line from 1909 through 1914. Both had black bead eyes, a pink nose, felt ears and a long skinny tail.

It should come as no shock that an opossum just didn’t have the charm and appeal of the Teddy bear and all efforts to produce and distribute opossum-themed playthings failed miserably. These early, vintage Steiff opossums are extraordinarily rare and demand astronomical prices when they do come on the market.

Needless to say, you might need a “pouch” full of money or two to bring an early Steiff marsupial into your collection, as they are comparatively quite expensive. . .

Kangaroos: Depending on condition, early turn of last century kangaroos may value from $1,000 to $1,500. Prewar kangaroos with pouches and joeys may value in the $750 to $1,200 range. Postwar Kangoos and Lindas are a bit more common and can value from $75 to $400.

Koalas: Depending on condition, the smallest mohair vintage koalas may value from $150 to $300, the medium ones from $250 through $400, and the largest ones north of $500.

Opossums: In October of 2010, a 28-cm Steiff opossum from the “Billy Possum” era sold at auction at Christie’s for close to $15,000. Initial estimates valued it in the $4,800 to $6,300 range.

Rebekah Kaufman is a Worthologist who specializes in vintage Steiff and other European plush collectibles.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Throughout the 19th century, supporters for American presidential candidates were able to advertise their loyalty by buying some rather unusual items, or at least considered unusual in the era of bumper stickers and pinback buttons. Prior to the 1896 election, the torch light parade through town in honor of your candidate was commonplace. But you were also able to tip a hat, wear a ribbon, hold an umbrella, wear a vest, or drink from a mug to advertise your support, too.

Christopher Kent, a WorthPoint Worthologist, was fascinated by another typical political item that played a large role in elections in the late 19th century, the tin tray. He talked with Mark Evans of Collector’s Archives at the American Presidential Experience in Denver, Colo., during the Democratic National Convention in late summer 2008 about the significance and the collectability of these historic presidential items.

During the presidential campaign of 1896 between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan, individual companies would produce these large, oval tin trays featuring the likenesses of both candidates for resale to gift shops and stores. “Supporters would just buy them as a souvenir of the election or to show their support,” Evans says.

These tin trays were intended to be used every day, both as a piece of decoration for the wall and also as a serving tray. Condition, therefore, plays a rather significant role in assessing value after scarcity. A 1900 tin tray featuring William Jennings Bryan and Adlai Stevenson is a rare piece, for example, but there is a lot of normal crazing and rust pits throughout bringing down its value. “Much of this can be repaired, and when you have a quality piece, it’s worth the investment,” Evans says. He paid $400 to $500 for the tin tray, but in mint condition, it would be worth 3 to 4 times that value. A tin tray featuring McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt from the 1900 presidential campaign sold at auction for about $1,100 in 2004, for example, according to WorthPoint’s Worthopedia.

For many of these trays, a blank space was deliberately added along the top and bottom borders and on the sides, according to Evans. “I’ve seen these for various businesses with the name printed in black and then these businesses would distribute them to their better customers, who would then hang them on the wall, which would give them advertising. The ones with advertising tend to have more value because they’re limited to one business in one city and it adds interest,” Evans says. This could be considered a double investment because the tray is scarce, but the addition of an advertising company is even rarer.

By 1896, the acetate political button with a pin attached to the back became the most common way for individuals to show their support for their candidates. They were easier to manufacture at a much lower cost and the distribution was more universal. Items such as the tin tray, the umbrella, the top hat, and other more flamboyant displays of support began to become less important during the presidential campaigns. Of course, that just makes them even more valuable as collectibles.

Watch a video about the presidential campaign tin trays here.

Tom Carrier is a general Worthologist, with an expertise in a wide variety of subjects.

WorthPoint: Get the Most from Your Antiques & Collectibles.

WorthPoint’s political-collectibles specialists—Jim Warlick, Tom Carrier and John Olsen—are set to test your knowledge. Answer the questions below, and win a round of applause if you do well.

A. $33
B. $129
C. $12

This campaign featured Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland. Incumbent president Grover Cleveland won the popular vote that year but lost the electoral vote, something that wouldn’t happen again until 2000. This League of Women Voters-type guide sets up the campaign issues rather well. What was the final bid price for this campaign piece of ephemera as realized by Proxibid in 2006?

A. $26.25
B. $12.50
C. $7.50

This Young Republican 1-inch pinback button is just one of many different, but distinctive designs that incorporate the sunflower. When it was auctioned by Proxibid in 2007, what was the final hammer price?

A. $26
B. $5
C. $12

A. $565
B. $725
C. $1,100

John C. Fremont, known as the Great Pathfinder, was the very first candidate for president nominated by the new Republican Party in 1856. He lost to James Buchanan. This lot of three items are from his 1856 presidential campaign—a printed silk ribbon in black on white, a Carte de Visite (CDV) of a uniformed engraving of Fremont with printed signature and an 8-foot brass campaign token of Fremont with the legend “Fremont Born Jan. 21, 1813” on the obverse and a winged eagle atop a globe with “Our Country” surrounded by 13 stars on the reverse. It probably isn’t fair to include all three items, except this is how it was sold as a lot. What is the value of these three items by Cowan’s Auctions in 2005?

A. $1,010
B. $345
C. $565

Issue campaign buttons, like this Votes For Women, are very collectible. While various countries and colonies gave women the vote very early, the United States gave suffrage to women only after the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920. This plain green-and-black celluloid pinback button dates from 1918 and is in rather good condition overall. What was the final hammer on this button sold by Proxibid in 2006?

A. $36
B. $12
C. $15

Theodore Roosevelt is a highly collectible political figure. This pinback button shows a hand holding five cards. One has a picture of Teddy Roosevelt, and the other four cards have slogans that say “Sound Money,” “Expansion,” “Protection” and “Prosperity.” At the bottom is “Stand Pat!” The reverse shows that the button is “Compliments of ‘The Hub’ Ogden, Utah.” What was the final auction price by Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles in 2008 for this Theodore Roosevelt pinback?

A. $327
B. $200
C. $76

William Jennings Bryan was a pivotal presidential candidate in 1896, spotlighting the difficulties of the everyman in everyday life. He advocated changing the country to a silver standard where there would be 16 ounces of silver coinage for every ounce of gold. Although he did not succeed, his slogan, “16 to 1,” still resonates as a powerful populist message.

This large 1.75-foot William Jennings Bryan clock-faced button has the clock hands pointed to the time of 16 to 1 to illustrate the main issue of this campaign. What was Cowan’s final auction price in 2004?

A. $751
B. $479
C. $1,380

JFK was the first president to wear cufflinks that showed the presidential seal on the obverse and an engraved presidential signature on the reverse. Presidents Nixon and Johnson gave them away as gifts. This tie clip was issued as an official presidential gift by Richard Nixon in the 1970s. What is its value?

A. $50
B. $125
C. $225

In the 19th century, presidential campaigns relied on decorative and elaborate banners to ballyhoo their candidates. They were carried through the streets in large parades, hung on buildings or across broad avenues in big cities. This particular campaign banner is from the 1845 presidential campaign of James K. Polk and George M. Dallas. What is the most recent auction value for this historic memorabilia?

A. $225
B. $522
C. $378

Vari-Vu was a political button maker that used a unique twist. Turn its button one way, and you saw an image. Turn it another way for another image or slogan. This is called a flasher button in the trade. This particular flasher button was used in the 1956 Eisenhower campaign. It shows a grinning Eisenhower and the slogan “Win with Ike.” What is the value of this button?

A. $35 to $45
B. $75 to $95
C. $20 to $30

One of the easiest ways to commemorate a political event is with a postcard such as this one from the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver. The DNC was again held in Denver exactly 100 years later. The 1908 Democratic nominee was William Jennings Bryan, who is shown on this card riding a donkey into Denver with the slogan “Our Turn Next.” What is the value of this colorized postcard?

A. $20 to $30
B. $15 to $20
C. $7 to $12

And the answers are:
American Politics guide B. $12.50
Presidential paperweights A. $33 for both
Alf Landon pinback B. $5
1908 Yates Republican collection C. $1,100
Fremont campaign B. $345
Women’s suffrage button C. $15
Teddy Roosevelt button Answer: B. $200
William Jennings Bryan C. $1,380
Nixon Tie Clip C. $225
Polk/Dallas B. $522
Win with Ike Because it is not particularly scarce, it’s C. $20 to $30, when in good condition
1908 William Jennings Bryan Not particularly scarce, but still unusual, the value is: C. $7 to $12

How did you do?

None right. Don’t despair. Visiting WorthPoint will take you to the top of the political-collectibles class in no time.

One right. One’s better than none. Try, try again.

Two right. Good job, but keep learning. WorthPoint is a great resource.

Three right. You’re practically at the top of the class. Aim for a perfect score next time.

Four right. A wow.

Five right. A double wow.

Six right. That’s an impressive score.

Seven right. Excellent.

Eight right. You may be a grandmaster of political-collectibles knowledge.

Nine right. Only one word describes this—UNBELIEVABLE

Ten right. You, my friend, you’re off the charts.

Eleven right. We are in awe.
Twelve right. Is there no stopping you?

Watch for more What’s It Worth quizzes on WorthPoint—the premier Web site for art, antiques and collectibles.

It was the election of 1936, the beginning of the end of the Great Depression. Incumbent president Franklin D. Roosevelt was re-nominated by the Democrats. Gov. Alf Landon of Kansas would be nominated by the Republican Party. He would be soundly defeated, but the sunflower, the state flower of Kansas and a continuing motif of his campaign, would prove to be a popular collectible.

This Young Republican 1-inch pinback button is just one of many different, but distinctive designs that incorporate the sunflower. When it was auctioned by by Proxibid in 2007, what was the final hammer price?

A. $26
B. $5
C. $12

Political collectors will usually not come across only one item, but an entire box or collection of them all at once. It is up to Worthologists to determine the value of them as a collection right on the spot. This large collection of buttons includes a “1904 Yates Campaign Committee gilt button on ribbon with metal thread, a 1904 Republican National Convention pin, various buttons, some from the 1890s, plastic elephant pins and compass, and assorted other ribbons, pins and labels” as outlined by the original lot by Ivey-Selkirk Auctioneers in 2006. If you had to guess the final bid of this lot, what would it be?

A. $565
B. $725
C. $1,100

John C. Fremont, known as the Great Pathfinder, was the very first candidate for president nominated by the new Republican Party in 1856. He lost to James Buchanan. This lot of three items are from his 1856 presidential campaign—a printed silk ribbon in black on white, a Carte de Visite (CDV) of a uniformed engraving of Fremont with printed signature and an 8-foot brass campaign token of Fremont with the legend “Fremont Born Jan. 21, 1813” on the obverse and a winged eagle atop a globe with “Our Country” surrounded by 13 stars on the reverse. It probably isn’t fair to include all three items, except this is how it was sold as a lot. What is the value of these three items by Cowan’s Auctions in 2005?

A. $1,010
B. $345
C. $565

Issue campaign buttons, like this Votes For Women, are very collectible. While various countries and colonies gave women the vote very early, the United States gave suffrage to women only after the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920. This plain green-and-black celluloid pinback button dates from 1918 and is in rather good condition overall. What was the final hammer on this button sold by Proxibid in 2006?

A. $36
B. $12
C. $15

Theodore Roosevelt is a highly collectible political figure. This pinback button shows a hand holding five cards. One has a picture of Teddy Roosevelt, and the other four cards have slogans that say “Sound Money,” “Expansion,” “Protection” and “Prosperity.” At the bottom is “Stand Pat!” The reverse shows that the button is “Compliments of ‘The Hub’ Ogden, Utah.” What was the final auction price by Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles in 2008 for this Theodore Roosevelt pinback?

A. $327
B. $200
C. $76

William Jennings Bryan was a pivotal presidential candidate in 1896, spotlighting the difficulties of the everyman in everyday life. He advocated changing the country to a silver standard where there would be 16 ounces of silver coinage for every ounce of gold. Although he did not succeed, his slogan, “16 to 1,” still resonates as a powerful populist message.

This large 1.75-foot William Jennings Bryan clock-faced button has the clock hands pointed to the time of 16 to 1 to illustrate the main issue of this campaign. What was Cowan’s final auction price in 2004?

A. $751
B. $479
C. $1,380

JFK was the first president to wear cufflinks that showed the presidential seal on the obverse and an engraved presidential signature on the reverse. Presidents Nixon and Johnson gave them away as gifts. This tie clip was issued as an official presidential gift by Richard Nixon in the 1970s. What is its value?

A. $50
B. $125
C. $225

In the 19th century, presidential campaigns relied on decorative and elaborate banners to ballyhoo their candidates. They were carried through the streets in large parades, hung on buildings or across broad avenues in big cities. This particular campaign banner is from the 1845 presidential campaign of James K. Polk and George M. Dallas. What is the most recent auction value for this historic memorabilia?

A. $225
B. $522
C. $378

Vari-Vu was a political button maker that used a unique twist. Turn its button one way, and you saw an image. Turn it another way for another image or slogan. This is called a flasher button in the trade. This particular flasher button was used in the 1956 Eisenhower campaign. It shows a grinning Eisenhower and the slogan “Win with Ike.” What is the value of this button?

A. $35 to $45
B. $75 to $95
C. $20 to $30

One of the easiest ways to commemorate a political event is with a postcard such as this one from the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver. The DNC was again held in Denver exactly 100 years later. The 1908 Democratic nominee was William Jennings Bryan, who is shown on this card riding a donkey into Denver with the slogan “Our Turn Next.” What is the value of this colorized postcard?

A. $20 to $30
B. $15 to $20
C. $7 to $12

And the answers are:
Alf Landon pinback B. $5
1908 Yates Republican collection C. $1,100
Fremont campaign B. $345
Women’s suffrage button C. $15
Teddy Roosevelt button Answer: B. $200
William Jennings Bryan C. $1,380
Nixon Tie Clip C. $225
Polk/Dallas B. $522
Win with Ike Because it is not particularly scarce, it’s C. $20 to $30, when in good condition
1908 William Jennings Bryan Not particularly scarce, but still unusual, the value is: C. $7 to $12

How did you do?

None right. Don’t despair. Visiting WorthPoint will take you to the top of the political-collectibles class in no time.

One right. One’s better than none. Try, try again.

Two right. Good job, but keep learning. WorthPoint is a great resource.

Three right. You’re practically at the top of the class. Aim for a perfect score next time.

Four right. A wow.

Five right. A double wow.

Six right. That’s an impressive score.

Seven right. Excellent.

Eight right. You may be a grandmaster of political-collectibles knowledge.

Nine right. Only one word describes this—UNBELIEVABLE

Ten right. You, my friend, you’re off the charts.

Watch for more What’s It Worth quizzes on WorthPoint—the premier Web site for art, antiques and collectibles.

It is said that wherever the president is, so goes the White House. On land, at sea or in the air, the power of the presidency travels well. At least it does now. It wasn’t always like that.

Until Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency in the first years of the 20th century when he travelled in a car, presidents still got around in a horse and carriage. It was simply difficult and time consuming to travel before more practical travel was possible in the 20th century for anyone, much less a president. And, so, presidents stayed close to home.

Today, the office of the president of the United States has its own airplane, its own fleet of limousines, its own helicopter squadron, and, at one time, its own yacht with all of the memorabilia that goes with each of them.

First, came the airplane. President Franklin D. Roosevelt boarded a Pan Am flight in secret to Casablanca for a World War II conference in 1943, the first sitting president to fly in an airplane (Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to fly in 1910, but not while in office). Ever since, a president has had an airplane to use throughout the presidency. It is called Air Force One and is only used when a president is physically aboard any aircraft, including the official one.

President Eisenhower went one better. He got a helicopter, or as it was initially called an autogyro. In 1957, it took the president an hour to ferry across Narragansett Bay in Newport, Rhode Island to get to Air Force One to fly back to Washington, DC. It was determined that a military helicopter, standing by for emergencies only, could do the job in 7 minutes. Today, Marine One serves as an indispensable time saving tool to quickly transport the president to Air Force One or any nearby location without the use of cumbersome motorcades.

Which brings us to one of my favorite sights to see in Washington, D.C., the presidential motorcade. You can tell when the president will be travelling the streets of Washington, DC about 2 hours before the president even leaves the White House. Streets are blocked at every intersection by local police and traffic diverted. Preceded by the sounds of many police sirens, the presidential motorcade with several similar looking official limousines, wends its way through the now empty streets of Washington, DC completely unimpeded, being advanced and trailed by police vehicles and press vans. What a way to break traffic gridlock.

Still, that luxury was long in coming. President Theodore Roosevelt first rode in a car while in office, but it wasn’t until his cousin, again, Franklin D. Roosevelt who was commissioned with the first official presidential limousine in 1939, a Lincoln V12 convertible called the “Sunshine Special.” Today, the presidential limousine is a handcrafted fortress-like limousine called Cadillac One or as the Secret Service call it, “the beast.”

And then there’s the sea. At the beginning there was the presidential yacht, the USS Mayflower. It was commissioned for the use of the president of the United States in 1904 and decommissioned in May 1929, just a few months before the stock market crash in October that year. Aboard the Mayflower, President Theodore Roosevelt helped secure a peace in the Russo-Japanese War which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

The USS Sequoia was purchased in 1931 for use during Prohibition, but used unofficially by President Hoover as a presidential yacht until 1936 when the USS Potomac served as the official yacht of the president until being decommissioned in 1945, just after Roosevelt’s death. The Sequoia was officially the yacht of the Secretary of the Navy, although presidents continued to use it as well through 1969. From 1969 until 1977, it was used exclusively by the office of the president. President Jimmy Carter sold it out of government service in 1977. There currently is no official yacht for the president of the United States as of 2008.

That is a very short history of presidential transportation, not including the host of horseless carriages that preceded the 20th century. What’s important to realize, though, is that there is so much memorabilia associated with presidential transportation that hasn’t yet come to light. There are all manner of signage and glassware, clothing and patches, and who knows what else out there. Let’s start cataloguing it here.

Sometimes you’re remembered for only one thing even though you’ve done so much more. We know Clifford Berryman as having created a bear named for President Theodore Roosevelt. Yep, the teddy bear.

The teddy bear was introduced as a character in a story about President Roosevelt declining to shoot an old bear. Berryman changed it to a young bear in an editorial cartoon for the Washington Post on November 16, 1902. It’s been a toy ever since.

Starting this month and continuing through August 17th, the National Archives in Washington, D.C. features “Running for Office”, a collection of 44 recently unearthed original drawings of the political cartoonist, Clifford Berryman. It is a look back to a ‘simpler’ time of gentle teasing from his beginning as a cartoonist in 1891 until his death in 1949 at the old Washington Star newspaper. In all he must have drawn nearly 15,000 cartoons in his lifetime, not all of them political.

He knew all the presidents from Grover Cleveland to Harry Truman. His favorite was to draw the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant in the clothes of the era as they made their respective points on taxes, votes, and issues of the day. The Progressive Party symbol was a bedraggled goat, the regular voter was always John Q. Public looking utterly confused. All in all, his work was important and influential enough to have won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1944.

But it was a bear cub that sealed his fate in our national consciousness. It humanized Theodore Roosevelt and brought utter joy to millions of children from then on. Not a bad legacy all around.

Read more about the National Archives exhibit at:

http://www.archives.gov/press/press-kits/berryman-cartoons/

It is well known that the United States Mint manufacturers the currency and coinage of the United States. What isn’t well known is that there are skilled craftsman who also shape American history in bronze medals and medallions for everyone to own and share.

Created in 1792, the U.S. Mint has been the primary source of coinage in the United States, but in their own words:

“The primary mission of the United States Mint is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the nation to conduct its trade and commerce. In recent history circulating coin production has varied between 11 billion and 20 billion coins annually. In addition to producing coins, the United States Mint has other responsibilities, including the following:

* Distributing U.S. coins to the Federal Reserve banks and branches.
* Maintaining physical custody and protection of the Nation’s $100 billion of U.S. gold and silver assets.
* Producing proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins, and medals for sale to the general public.
* Manufacturing and selling platinum, gold, and silver bullion coins.
* Overseeing of production facilities in Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco and West Point, as well as the U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky”

It is the third mission that we are talking about today. Ata first, Peace medals were struck to use as friendship gestures on behalf of the president and the Indian nations. By 1869, these Peace medals became inaugural medals featuring the newly elected president of the United States with the dates of inauguration and other artwork on the reverse. Every Peace medal and every inaugural medal is still available today directly from the U.S. Mint.

Because the inaugural medals are still being reproduced, the demand has always kept up with supply and so there is only an antique value if one of the original strikes were being offered. How would you know? Mostly from the patina of the medal itself. If the patina on an inaugural medal dates to the 1870s, for example, it would have something of a darker hue to it rather than the shiny hue that accompanies a newer, more contemporary strike. These original strikes have a much greater collector value by virtue of its age alone.

Now, there are also officially produced inaugural medals for the president. These medals are also bronze like the U.S. Mint medals. The difference is that a relatively limited number are produced of each medal and once they are sold, no more are every produced unlike the U.S. Mint medals which continue to be reproduced each year.

The very first official inaugural medal, that is one that was manufactured at the behest of a specially appointed committee responsible for the official inaugural swearing-in of the new president and vice president and the accompanying festivities, was for William McKinley of 1901. Prior to that, inaugural buttons, badges, medals and medalets were produced by entrepreneurs wholly unconnected with the official swearing-ins or festivities.

So, how do you tell them apart. The quickest way to tell is that the U.S. Mint inaugural medal usually features a portion of the inaugural address on the reverse of the medal or the complete dates of service for the president. Official inaugural medals were produced from original artwork before the inauguration took place and therefore couldn’t have access to the official inaugural address.

The difference of values between the U.S. Mint and the official inaugural medals can be significant. The early official inaugural medals of McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Wm Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover are the most sought after because relatively few were ever produced.

Attached are photos of both U.S. Mint and official Inaugural strike medals for comparison. On January 20, 2008 we will have another official and U.S. Mint inaugural medal to add to our collection.

Following its successful series of collectible coin series for the 50 state quarters and the new Jefferson nickels, the US Mint is now offering a series of $1 coins featuring the presidents of the United States in the order they served.

The obverse, or ‘heads’, features a sculpted portrait of the president. On the reverse, or ‘tails’, is the Statue of Liberty. What’s really unique about this series of coins is the use of what they call ‘edge incused inscriptions.’ This means that they inscribed the edging of the coins with the words “E Pluribus Unum”, “In God We Trust”, and the mark of the US Mint. Many other countries have done this in the past, but this is an unusual design departure for the US Mint.

President’s Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison have already been issued in 2007. The next four presidents (can you name them?) will be issued in 2008.

All images are courtesy of the US Mint.

Presidential Dollar Coin Release Schedule

Year President Years Served Release Date

2007

1 George Washington 1789-1797 February 15
2 John Adams 1797-1801 May 17
3 Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 August 16
4 James Madison 1809-1817 November 15

2008

5 James Monroe 1817-1825 February 14
6 John Quincy Adams 1825-1829 May 15
7 Andrew Jackson 1829-1837 August 14
8 Martin Van Buren 1837-1841 November 13

2009

9 William Henry Harrison 1841
10 John Tyler 1841-1845
11 James K. Polk 1845-1849
12 Zachary Taylor 1849-1850

2010

13 Millard Fillmore 1850-1853
14 Franklin Pierce 1853-1857
15 James Buchanan 1857-1861
16 Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865

2011

17 Andrew Johnson 1865-1869
18 Ulysses S. Grant 1869-1877
19 Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881
20 James A. Garfield 1881

2012

21 Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885
22 Grover Cleveland 1885-1889
23 Benjamin Harrison 1889-1893
24 Grover Cleveland 1893-1897

2013

25 William McKinley 1897-1901
26 Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909
27 William Howard Taft 1909-1913
28 Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921

2014

29 Warren Harding 1921-1923
30 Calvin Coolidge 1923-1929
31 Herbert Hoover 1929-1933
32 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1945

2015

33 Harry S. Truman 1945-1953
34 Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961
35 John F. Kennedy 1961-1963
36 Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

2016

37 Richard M. Nixon 1969-1974
38 Gerald Ford 1974-1977