The Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York
In 1849, a group of private citizens (including merchants, ship-owners and underwriters) organized a fund called the Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York (LSBA) to compensate acts of heroism in saving lives at sea. In January 2009, the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) took on an administrative role for the LSBA, assuming responsibility for processing and validating applications from life-savers, coordinating Board meetings and holding annual award ceremonies.
New York Harbor saw many wrecks and loss of life in the years leading up to the LSBA’s formation: between 1839 and 1848 there were 338 shipwrecks along the coasts of New Jersey and Long Island. In response, the LSBA, working with the newly established US Lifesaving Service, assisted in the construction and operation of life-saving stations along New York’s coastline, staffed by a combination of Federal employees and volunteer emergency response teams comprised mostly of fishermen and their families. The LSBA furnished each station with equipment to aid in rescues, including a newly designed lifeboat pioneered by Joseph Francis, credited with saving thousands of lives within its first few years of use.
Gold Medal: Captain Max Spangenberg of the S.S. Grosser Kurfurst received a special 20 ct. gold 51mm medal made by Tiffany & Co. The reverse is engraved: PRESENTED TO/ MAX SPANGENBERG/ CAPTAIN OF THE/ STEAMSHIP GROSSER KURFURST/ IN RECOGNITION OF HIS HUMANITY/ AND SEAMANSHIP/ IN RESCUING 106 PERSONS FROM/ THE BURNING STEAMSHIP "VOLTURNO"/ DURING A HEAVY GALE AND/ HIGH SEA IN MID-OCEAN/ OCTOBER 10, 1913. The S.S. Grosser Kurfurst rescued 83 passengers and 23 crew members from the burning Volturno.
Special Gold Medal
The Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York Pin
Bronze Medal (AKA Pin): The 38mm circular bronze medal (pin) is suspended from pin-back bar engraved OCTOBER 10, 1913 The obverse of medal is inscribed THE LIFE SAVING BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK/INCORPORATED 1849. The reverse has the curved inscription at the top: VITA FELICIBUS AUSIS SERVATA and the straight five-line inscription AWARDED TO ________ / FOR SAVING / HUMAN LIFE with the curved inscription IN PERIL at the bottom.
In 1849, a group of private citizens (including merchants, ship-owners and underwriters) organized a fund called the Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York (LSBA) to compensate acts of heroism in saving lives at sea. In January 2009, the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) took on an administrative role for the LSBA, assuming responsibility for processing and validating applications from life-savers, coordinating Board meetings and holding annual award ceremonies.
New York Harbor saw many wrecks and loss of life in the years leading up to the LSBA’s formation: between 1839 and 1848 there were 338 shipwrecks along the coasts of New Jersey and Long Island. In response, the LSBA, working with the newly established US Lifesaving Service, assisted in the construction and operation of life-saving stations along New York’s coastline, staffed by a combination of Federal employees and volunteer emergency response teams comprised mostly of fishermen and their families. The LSBA furnished each station with equipment to aid in rescues, including a newly designed lifeboat pioneered by Joseph Francis, credited with saving thousands of lives within its first few years of use.
Gold Medal: Captain Max Spangenberg of the S.S. Grosser Kurfurst received a special 20 ct. gold 51mm medal made by Tiffany & Co. The reverse is engraved: PRESENTED TO/ MAX SPANGENBERG/ CAPTAIN OF THE/ STEAMSHIP GROSSER KURFURST/ IN RECOGNITION OF HIS HUMANITY/ AND SEAMANSHIP/ IN RESCUING 106 PERSONS FROM/ THE BURNING STEAMSHIP "VOLTURNO"/ DURING A HEAVY GALE AND/ HIGH SEA IN MID-OCEAN/ OCTOBER 10, 1913. The S.S. Grosser Kurfurst rescued 83 passengers and 23 crew members from the burning Volturno.
Special Gold Medal
The Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York Pin
Website Maintained by Vaudezilla