[UPDATE TO THE UPDATE:� I added two photos of the actual medal as delivered from the US Mint.� It really is as good as the picture of it on the Mint's website.]

I recently added another historical medal to my collection. When making additions I have some vague (only make sense to me) requirements. The most important is eye appeal, followed closely by historical importance.The obverse of this medal certainly didn’t catch my attention. The name Abercromby didn’t ring any bells and the portrait is, well, just another dead guy. The classical look of the reverse is what caught my attention. The horse is beautifully done but having the Egyptian pyramids in the background sealed the deal. I immediately decided I had to have one and after a quick search of all the available ones online ended up back at the first one I saw.After a bit of research, I realized it ticked off both requirements.Sellers Description:1801 Great Britain, British Army Arrives in Egypt, AE Medal, Mudie's National Series, Mudie-8, BHM-504, By Webb, Plain Edge. Deep toned brown bronze in color with some underlying surface reflectivity, couple small rim tics. Mudie's National Series of British Medals, published in 1820 by James Mudie and struck by Sir Edward Thomason's Manufactory in Birmingham consists of 40 different medals commemorating British military and Navy victories. The series is both important in history and design and was dedicated to George the Fourth.Obverse: Uniformed bust facing slightly leftReverse: Horse right before the Great PyramidsSize: 41 mmSir Ralph Abercromby (7 October 1734 – 28 March 1801) was a Scottish soldier and politician. He twice served as MP for Clackmannanshire rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army was appointed Governor of Trinidad, served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, and was noted for his services during the French Revolutionary Wars.In 1800 Abercromby commanded the expedition to the Mediterranean. After some brilliant operations defeated the French in the Battle of Alexandria, 21 March 1801. During the action, he was struck by a musket-ball in the thigh. It was not until the battle was won and he saw the enemy retreating did he show any sign of pain. He was removed from the field in a hammock, cheered by the blessings of the soldiers as he passed, and conveyed on board the flag-ship HMS Foudroyant which was moored in the harbor. The ball could not be extracted; mortification ensued, and seven days later, on 28 March 1801, he died.I found the above description of his death a little odd. Even with the medicine of the time, a leg wound should not have taken the life of this man. It may have cost him his leg, but not his life. So, I dug a little deeper and now wish I hadn't. Calling it a leg wound must have been the "polite" way to describe his injuries. Suffice it to say, you don't want to know.�Abercromby's old friend and commander, the Duke of York, paid tribute to Abercromby's memory in general orders: "His steady observance of discipline, his ever-watchful attention to the health and wants of his troops, the persevering and unconquerable spirit which marked his military career, the splendor of his actions in the field and the heroism of his death, are worthy the imitation of all who desire, like him, a life of heroism and death of glory."He was buried on St John's Bastion within Fort Saint Elmo in Valletta, Malta. The British military renamed it Abercrombie's Bastion in his honor. The adjacent curtain wall linking this bastion to the fortifications of Valletta, originally called Santa Ubaldesca Curtain, was also renamed Abercromby's Curtain.In general, the Mudie series of medals is not scarce however the individual pieces have a wide range of prices. Certain pieces command higher prices based on the subject matter. Of course, the condition has a large effect on pricing. Occasionally full sets become available to purchase but that is far outside this collectors pricing comfort level. The set in the photo is not mine.Sources:cngcoins.comwikipediahistoricalmedals.com

National K-9 Veterans Day, March 13, is a day set aside to honor and commemorate the service and sacrifices of American military and working dogs throughout history.

As a result of my Money Talks presentation at the Words Fair of Money I came into contact with Coin World writer Chris Bulfinch. Chris wanted to talk with me about an article he was working on concerning Laura Gardin Fraser. At the end of that conversation he asked me if I would be willing to do a podcast interview with him of which I was only too happy to do.

I am thankful for all the men and women who gave their lives to protect and provide freedom for their fellow man.� Some were volunteers; some were selected.� Not all went into combat; sometimes combat came to them.� Some deaths were brave acts of valor to stop an enemy and to directly save the life of a comrade; others were accidental.� The number and type of medals awarded posthumously do not matter in as much as a life was lost in the service to our country.� We do not celebrate death; we honor the names and memory of the dead, and honor the families, friends, and communities who lost loved ones.� Those who have been freed from tyranny and whose children have been extended hope for a brighter future remember and are grateful.Attached are pictures of a medal I picked up at an auction.� It commemorates the liberation of the small country of Luxembourg, which had been subjected to the tyranny of the Nazis during WW2.� The date commemorated is 10 September, 1944, as you can see on the reverse.� That was the day Allied tanks rolled into the City of Luxembourg, the small country's capital, forcing the German army to retreat.� During the Battle of the Bulge, where the German military counterattacked the Allied advance, much of the country's territory fell back into German hands and had to be liberated again; but the City of Luxembourg was never recaptured, in spite of shelling by German heavy artillery.Note, though, who the medal honors on the obverse.� Portrayed is the unique shape of the American steel pot helmet, and "U.S." is clearly featured on the soldier's collar.� This is an officer's version of the American "U.S." insignia.� Usually if such collar insignia was worn, it would be on a garrison uniform, but an officer riding in a jeep into a newly liberated city might be wearing such in combination with a helmet.Our military has liberated millions of people around the globe.� These men and women are not always seen as liberators by everyone, and just like any other organization made up of a collection of individual humans, not all are saints.� In this day and age of politicizing the legitimacy of using military forces to enforce the political will and national interests of America, I feel that has to be pointed out; because many will point to the actions of a few individuals as justification for condemning the whole body, and that is wrong.� Our men and women give themselves to the service of our nation, and many times in the service of our friends and allies.� It's a dangerous business, and some do not come home.� Regardless of whether you agree with the politics behind or morality of a given war, these men and women do serve in allegiance to our flag and our Constitution, and hence to you... and each family who has lost a loved one in the service has suffered a loss, ostensibly for you.� Enjoy your day today, but please respectfully remember those who have lost their lives in the service of our country."We wish no evil.� We will fight evil where and when we see it, and celebrate victory over it.� When all is said and done, we will mourn our dead, resolve to right the wrongs, and move forward with a better understanding of our world and our fellow man, to the end of living as peaceably as possible with all."