USS NAUTILUS NUCLEAR SUBMARINE OFFICIAL LAUNCH SOUVENIR MEDAL

Description

This approximately 40mm socalled dollar medal
never got listed by Messers. Hibler and Kappen in their book titled "So-Called Dollars" but it should have been as it is an excellent companion piece to one that did, HK-598 USS Enterprise medal.
The USS Nautilus is the very first Nuclear-powered ship (yes SHIP, and boat, and submarine, okay?) commissioned by the United States Navy.  It went on to cruise the seven seas for upwards of half a million miles (unsure if nautical) before being decommissioned and eventually set up as a floating museum and looks forward to celebrating her 70th birthday in just 3 years.  Hooray!
This medal appears to have gone straight into the collection of an old-school coin collector as it appears to be lacquered (see that small bump in the field of obverse).  I happen to like that look but if you do not, this can be removed by soaking in a mild solvent such as rubbing alcohol.  The stuff literally dissolves away without harming the surfaces.  Not my cup of tea, as I said, but I do know it works as I once did it on a medal and then submitted it to a professional grading service to see what grade it would recieve and it came back high grade mint state, which is exactly what this example is.
One wonders if the editors of the expanded 3rd edition of the SCD book will include this one.  I'll give a nudge to Jeff next time I see him.