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Message:: [QUOTE="TheNickelGuy, post: 8193373, member: 20201"]1899 Dewey Maine Looped Medal28 mm [ATTACH=full]1434950[/ATTACH]  [ATTACH=full]1434952[/ATTACH] One of the more scarce Admiral Dewey medals you'll find and in above average condition. These are called "Parade Medals" and hung from a US flag bowtie shaped pin. I do not have the pin but I add the image here of one.In March 1899, by an act of Congress, Dewey was elevated to the rank of Admiral of the Navy. In late September 1899, Dewey's flagship USS Olympia reached the coast of the United States. Dewey led a victory parade in New York City on September 30, 1899. He also participated in celebrations in Washington, D.C., and Montpelier, Vermont.Medals like this and celluloid pinback buttons were worn by spectators at these parades and for other patriotic reasons by Americans of the time. The USS Maine, an armored cruiser, was a United States Navy ship that sank in Havana Harbor in February 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April.American newspapers claimed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction.The phrase "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!" became a rallying cry for action. Although the Maine explosion was not a direct cause, it served as a catalyst that accelerated the events leading up to the Spanish American War. 1954 Topps ScoopNo 4 [ATTACH=full]1434953[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1434954[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]