Today I wasn't sure if I was going to have time to finish up a post, but I managed to free up a couple of hours. I still do some side work that can keep me busy every now and then. I wasn't sure what to share today until I read @bozz 's post about a US flag controversy on social media. That reminded me that I had started a post some time ago about a silver token commemorating the United States Navy and inspiration finally arrived!
I have been a collector of coins and silver/ gold items for most of my life. About twenty five years ago I started to collect silver casino tokens that were paid our on Silver Strike Slot Machines. You used to find those machines in just about every casino around the world at one point, although now they are becoming as rare a unicorn. The tokens they paid out are great collectors items now, and I prefer to collect the ones from defunct casinos as a general rule. I made an exception on this one for a couple of reasons. One, it was in great condition and two, it features a branch of the United States Armed Services.
I served in the US Army for many years, but not in the Navy. Something about being stuck on a huge boat in the middle of the ocean just didn't sound appealing. But I have many friends who were sailors and enjoyed their time on the open seas. Here is the star of today's show:
About the token:
From silverstrikers.com
There are a few things I really like about this commemorative token. First off it has around 0.6 Troy ounces of silver inside the brass ring. Secondly it is of very limited production, only one thousand of these were produced whereas a standard Silver Strike token has no limits on mintage. And thirdly it celebrates the United States Navy. They also produced ones for the Army, Air Force, and the Marines as well, but I don't own any of those. Today I realized how little I know about US naval history, the other branches I know quite a bit. So I read up a little and put some highlights if your interested, but first a little about the Palms Casino Resort.
Palms Casino Resort
discotech.me
The Palms is located in Las Vegas off of the Strip on Flamingo Road and was opened in 2001. They had a star studded opening with Samuel L. Jackson, Charlize Theron, Joe Pesci, and Pamela Anderson to name just few. They also had Dennis Rodman in attendance, I might have skipped him if I was handing out invitations... The owner George Maloof wanted to make it the ultimate party hotel with movie theatres, night clubs, day clubs, and plenty of restaurants and attractions. In 2006 they opened the first Playboy Club in Las Vegas on site. However it only lasted six years before closing.
COVID hit them hard, and the majority of the casino had to be sold. Maloof still has a couple percent, but the majority owner is the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. It is the first Vegas casino to be owned by Native Americans which is an interesting piece of trivia. I have never personally stayed there so I can't say how nice it is or isn't, but I do like my token!
United States Navy
The United States Navy is split into two categories historically, the old Navy and the new Navy. The old navy foundations came from the Continental Navy (1775-1785) that was used during the American Revolutionary War. After the war all of the ships were sold as the new nation couldn't afford the upkeep. The Navy first officially came into existence in 1794 with the authorization to build six ships, the most famous of which is the USS Constitution that was nicknamed "Old Ironsides". Not because it was actually iron, but the strong oak bounced off cannonballs during battles. It's still in existence today and is harbored in Boston, Massachusetts.
commons.wikimedia.org
The old Navy saw some action in a brief fight with the French in 1798 and in the War of 1812 (1812-1815) fought against the United Kingdom. It was during that war that the British Army burned down the White House. The Navy was expanded as the nation grew although lagging in technology behind European counterparts. The US Civil War (1861-1865) saw the first fight of steam ships and armor. After the war the Navy fell in decline until 1882.
In 1882 the "new" Navy sprang to life as new modern warships were built. The Spanish-American War (1898) although brief started the Navy to modernize and become what is the Navy today. World War 1 led to a massive expansion of the Navy as the US entered the war. Aircraft carriers and submarines entered service at a rapid pace. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1941) the US entered the second World War would start of largest expansion in US naval history.
The Cold War led to further expansion and modernization into the force we see today. There were more than 400 ships in service, but now has dwindled to 274 as less funding has been given for new ship production. China overtook the US Navy in total number of ships in 2020.
The largest and most advanced ship in the US Navy is the USS Gerald R. Ford, considered a supercarrier. These carriers are amazing to see in person, they are huge! Here's a picture of the vessel:
wallpapercave.com
That will just wrap things up for today. For a more inclusive history of both the Palms and the United States Navy I have included the Wikipedia pages under my references. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below, and thank you everyone for all of your support. Have a great week!
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palms_Casino_Resort
https://www.silverstrikers.com/Web/Catalogs/SilverStrikes/Nevada/PalmsLVnv/Palms-LVnv-Page-03.php/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Navy
Disclaimer:
All pictures are mine unless otherwise indicated
I am not a financial planner and this isn't financial advice. Please always do your own research before investing your money. You worked hard enough to earn it!
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