Kennedy Medicare Promise Commemorative Medal
date: label: date made
content: ca 1965
notes: label: Description
content: This bronze medal was part of a 36-medal set produced by the Lincoln Mint company in 1971 to commemorate the legacy of John F. Kennedy. Production of the set began in January of 1971, the 10th anniversary of Kennedy’s inauguration. The Lincoln Mint sold these medals as a subscription; the customer would receive one medal a month for 36 months, each medal commemorating a different event in the life and legacy of John F. Kennedy. The set also came with a collector’s album to hold the medals and—as a special gift—a tape player and a cassette containing major excerpts from J. F. K.'s most famous speeches. The series could be purchased in pure (.999) silver for $10.00 a month or solid bronze for $5.00 a month. The silver series was limited to 5,000 subscribers and the bronze to 10,000 subscribers.
label: Description
content: This medal was the 24th in the series and commemorated Kennedy’s "Medicare Promise," his attempt to enact legislation that would provide comprehensive affordable medical care for the elderly. The obverse has an image of an elderly male and female face and Kennedy leaning down to comfort an elderly person in a wheelchair. The reverse has an image of the Staff of Asclepius, the ancient symbol of the medical profession. The reverse reads "THE LEGACY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY/In spite of JFK's efforts to provide health care for the aged, Medicare was not enacted until a year and a half after his death/ January 20, 1961-July 30, 1965." January 20th, 1961 was Kennedy’s inauguration date and July 30th, 1965 was the date Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law. A small cursive "LM" for Lincoln Mint is at the bottom of the medal, and the rim is stamped number 122 which designated the subscriber's number.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
title: label: Title
content: Medal
topic: label: Subject
content: Elderly
label: Subject
content: Politics
label: Subject
content: Medicare
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
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content: Health & Medicine
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content: Government, Politics, and Reform
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2013.0265.01
label: accession number
content: 2013.0265
label: catalog number
content: 2013.0265.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: medal
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: .5 cm x 4.8 cm; 3/16 in x 1 7/8 in