The U.S. Mint marked the Navy's October 13 birthday by showing its silver and bronze medals in a public post. These are existing products. The post does not announce a new 2026 design. The one-ounce silver medal, small bronze medal and older 200th-birthday medal have different sizes, metals and stock status.
The Naval History and Heritage Command dates the Navy's 251st birthday to October 13, 2026. That is a different date from the 200th birthday marked on one of the Mint's bronze designs.
Three Navy medals, three different listings
The Mint's birthday post presents medals as a way to honor Navy service. Its shop link opens a page with several items. A short caption does not tell you that each one is in stock.
| Medal and item | Price and order status |
|---|---|
| One-ounce silver, SNV1 | $164 Add to Bag offered |
| Small bronze, MNVS | $45 Currently Unavailable |
| Three-inch bicentennial bronze, 534 | $160 Add to Bag offered |
These prices and stock checks were recorded on October 13. They are what the Mint was asking at that time. They do not show what a buyer would pay when the medal is resold. Stock may also change. Check the live page before you order.
Silver and small bronze share a design
The SNV1 silver medal has a matte finish and is 99.9% silver. It weighs one troy ounce and is 1.598 inches across. A troy ounce is the unit often used for gold and silver. The listing gives no face value; this is a medal, not a dollar coin.
Its front shows the destroyer John Paul Jones, the sailing ship USS Constitution and an aircraft formation. The back shows sailors along a ship's rail, with the Navy's values of honor, courage and commitment.
The MNVS bronze version uses that design at a smaller size, 1.5 inches across. Its listed metal mix is 95% copper and 5% zinc, with a matte finish and plain edge. It is not a one-ounce silver medal at a lower price.
The small bronze listing was out of stock when checked. Its reminder option does not give a restock day. The Mint's short birthday message does not promise that you can order each version right away.
The bicentennial design belongs to 1975
The three-inch bronze medal, item 534, is a different design. It shows the Continental Navy's ship Alfred and a symbolic view of the modern nuclear Navy. The Mint names Hal Reed as its designer. The metal mix is 90% copper and 10% zinc.
The design marks October 13, 1975, the Navy's 200th birthday. A current shop listing does not make it a new 251st-birthday issue. Keep that date in mind when you compare an older medal with the current listing.
Compare the object before the price
Save the item number, size, metal and both sides of the design. Then check whether the seller is offering the same product. A private challenge coin, an awarded military decoration and a Mint collector medal can appear together in a search, while serving different purposes.
A lower asking price alone does not prove a bargain. Check the box, condition, delivery costs and which medal you get. None of these three listings promises that the medal will gain value.
The photograph above is a historic view of USS Constitution's rigging and flag from September 1975. It provides Navy context; it is not a photograph of a medal or of this year's birthday observance.
Mint announcement and product listings checked October 13, 2026. Historic photograph: Peter H. Dreyer, City of Boston Archives, September 1975, CC BY 2.0. Complete photograph resized; CoinHub layout added. No photographer or Mint endorsement is implied.
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