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Message:: [QUOTE="TheNickelGuy, post: 8168494, member: 20201"]1970 The Steamship Historical SocietyThe Great Mississippi Steamboat Race Medal Set I pieced this set together one at a time.The Sterling Silver Proof Finish had a mintage of 7507The Bronze Proof Finish had a mintage of 2490The Nickel ( Nickel Silver ) Mint Finish had a mintage of only 500 and I actually own two of the nickel 500! I think that's .4 % of the mintage! [ATTACH=full]1426579[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1426594[/ATTACH]  Sterling [ATTACH=full]1426584[/ATTACH] housed in a plastic case with original printed silver label. [ATTACH=full]1426580[/ATTACH]  Bronze [ATTACH=full]1426581[/ATTACH] Housed on original card with literature. [ATTACH=full]1426582[/ATTACH] Nickel [ATTACH=full]1426586[/ATTACH] Housed on original card with literature. [ATTACH=full]1426583[/ATTACH] These medals were struck by The Franklin Mint for The Steamship Historical Society celebrating the 100 Anniversary of the record setting "Great Steamboat Race" between the Robert E Lee and The Natchez in 1870 in which The Lee won. The record still stands although the race still takes place each year just before The Kentucky Derby. In the summer of 1870, The Robert E. Lee won a famed steamboat race against The Natchez, going from New Orleans to St. Louis, Missouri, a distance of 1,154 miles in 3 days, 18 hours and 14 minutes. John W. Cannon, the captain of The Robert E. Lee, ensured victory by removing excess weight, carrying only a few passengers, and using prearranged barges to increase the speed of refueling. The Natchez finished the race with the speed of 3 days, 21 hours and 58 minutes, but had been delayed by fog for six hours, and had numerous passengers to weigh it down.Noted steamboat captain and historian Frederick Way, Jr., disputes this version of history somewhat. He cites Johnny Farrell, second engineer of The Natchez: "This old idea about the two boats preparing for days for the race, tearing down bulkheads, putting up wind sheaves, and a lot of other stuff, is not true. When I went aboard The Robert E. Lee, all they had done was to move the coal bunkers a little forward... On our boat there was absolutely no preparation whatever. There was no such thing as colors flying, bands playing, and the decks of both boats crowded with ladies and gentlemen." Way also writes that at Vicksburg, both boats took fuel flats in tow and emptied them under way. In addition, both vessels advertised before the race that they would accept freight and passengers. [ATTACH=full]1426587[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]

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