An antique 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration bronze medal, designed by sculptor Emil Fuchs and struck by Whitehead & Hoag.
Issued jointly by the American Numismatic Society and the Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission, this richly detailed medal commemorates Henry Hudson’s 1609 voyage and Robert Fulton’s successful steam navigation on the Hudson River in 1807.
One side depicts Hudson and his sailors aboard ship. The opposite shows three seated allegorical women beneath a portrait of Fulton, with a model steamboat and the inscription “First Use of Steam in Navigation on the Hudson River, 1807.” Signed E. Fuchs on the design and Whitehead-Hoag along the edge.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a smaller bronze version of this design, currently not on view.
Details
Date: 1909
Material: bronze
Diameter: 2 1/2 inches (63.5mm)
Thickness: approximately 1/8 inch (3mm)
Weight: 101.3 grams (approximately 3.6 ounces)
Good overall antique condition, with verdigris along portions of the border on the Hudson side. Dark spots on the opposite side are patina rather than damage. We do not polish antique bronze pieces.