Catalog
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| Issuer | Republic of the Marshall Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 38.61 mm |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A finely detailed depiction of the protected cruiser USS Olympia steaming at sea occupies the central field, the vessel shown in a three-quarter port bow view with billowing smoke rising dramatically from her twin funnels. The ship's masts, rigging, deck armament, and superstructure are rendered with meticulous engraving detail, with choppy waves in the lower field conveying a sense of motion. The legend 'USS OLYMPIA' arcs along the upper periphery in bold raised letters. The denomination '50 DOLLARS' appears in two lines to the right of centre within the field. |
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| Additional information |
USS Olympia is the oldest steel-hulled warship still afloat in the United States, and the only surviving vessel from the Spanish-American War. She served as Commodore George Dewey's flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898 — exactly one century before this coin's issue date. Dewey's signal to his captain, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," opened an engagement that destroyed the entire Spanish Pacific Squadron in under seven hours without a single American combat fatality.
The Marshall Islands issued commemoratives prolifically through the 1990s, largely as a revenue mechanism rather than for domestic circulation.