This one's in Rough shape, but it's leaving me a bit flummoxed. Even with some major spelling variations, I've struck out on finding any politician named Ernest Ruff running in 1918. Since the medal mentions "re-election for a 2nd term", I would expect some trace. But, nada. Perhaps I'm reading something totally wrong?
Perfect! Kind of surprising that someone running for such an obscure post would have made aluminum medals at that early date. In 1918, aluminum was still quite a novel material to work with. I wonder if there was a local factory innovating with it?
From my understanding aluminum started being used for tokens in the 1890's. The majority of tokens produced 1895-1940 are aluminum.
No counties in Nebraska end in BY. The closest possibility to the Omaha area is Sarpy county to the south of Douglas. Rick L.
When the capstone of the Washington monument was made in 1884, Aluminum was a precious metal. Advances in electric generation technology quickly reduced the cost: https://evolutiondc.museum.gwu.edu/... is unsurprising that the,“Praise be to God.”