Description:

Spanish-American War 1898 - Metal from the sunken warship U.S.S. Maine, molded into a bust of Abraham Lincoln


A 6" x 4.25" high-relief profile bust of Abraham Lincoln, cast in brass from the U.S.S. Maine, the warship that sunk following an explosion in Havana on February 15, 1897. The bust has been mounted to a 9.75" x 10.5" wooden base. A small slip of paper on the verso reads: "This head was cast at the Navy Yard in Washington from metal that was [from] the battleship Maine." Typical age wear to wooden base, bust bears some light green oxidation, else very good condition.

The U.S.S. Maine, which had been ordered to Cuba to protect American interests during the anti-Spanish insurrection there, exploded on the night of February 15, 1898. Americans immediately suspected Spanish sabotage, and the explosion became a rallying cry for those advocating war against Spain: "Remember the Maine; to Hell with Spain." Although two American investigations concluded that the ship was struck by a submarine mine, later inquiries, beginning with a 1974 study commissioned by Admiral Hyman Rickover, concluded that the explosion had been triggered when coal stores spontaneously combusted which was located next to the forward powder magazine. Ironically, Rickover's conclusions closely matched those of an inquiry initiated by Spanish authorities in Cuba soon after the incident.

This is one of the most unusual relics associated with the sinking of the U.S.S. Mainethat we've encountered. Exactly why smiths at the Washington Navy Yard chose to render a bust of Lincoln with metal recovered from the Maine is unknown. However, Lincoln's stature as a national martyr was still fresh in the minds of many Americans, especially more senior officers serving in the Spanish-American War, many of whom saw their first service during the Civil War. A very interesting association piece which the man who saved the Union with the event that signaled the dawn of an American overseas empire.

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