A medal for Edith
Subject(s): Loeb, William, 1866-1937, Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912, Presidents--Inauguration, Presidents--Medals, Roosevelt, Edith Kermit Carow, 1861-1948, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907, Shaw, Leslie M. (Leslie Mortier), 1848-1932, Tiffany and Company, United States. Bureau of the Mint, Weinman, Adolph A. (Adolph Alexander), 1870-1952, Wilson, John M. (John Moulder), 1837-1919
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Michael F. Moran describes the process of creating an unofficial inaugural medal for President Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration in 1905. Moran says that the artist Francis Davis Millet started the process by writing Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt about the poor quality of the inaugural medal to be issued by the Bureau of the Mint. Moran highlights the roles played by the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who designed the alternate medal, and of the Tiffany Company which produced the medals. Moran notes the many changes in design, diameter, and metal which led to the medal not being produced in time for the March 1905 inauguration, and he notes that the work on the inaugural medal led to the collaboration between Theodore Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens on redesigning the United States’ currency.
Four photographs appear in the article along with an illustration of both sides of the official inaugural medal issued by the Bureau of the Mint. Saint-Gaudens’s design appears on the front and back covers of the journal.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
2008
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Page Count
9
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
A medal for Edith. [December 11, 2025]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308302. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Moran, Michael F.. A medal for Edith. [11 Dec. 2025]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308302.
APA:
Moran, Michael F.., [2025, December 11]. A medal for Edith.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308302.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
APA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.