Gifts of Gold for the Commodore

The little gold house was a gift to Cornelius Vanderbilt from his wife Sophia on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. Sophia Johnson and Cornelius Vanderbilt were married for 53 years and had 13 children. The home represents the first house where the couple lived on Staten Island. In the doorway is a hand-etched woman and the words “C. Vanderbilt/G.Wedding/Dec. 19, 1863.”

One of many gold gifts received that night, this treasure was donated to the university by the William H. Vanderbilt family along with the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Cornelius Vanderbilt by Congress in 1862. The Congressional Medal, given in appreciation of the gift of the steamship Vanderbilt to the Union Navy during the Civil War, is the highest expression of national appreciation to an individual or institution.

In 1873 when Cornelius Vanderbilt made the first part of his gift to found what would become Vanderbilt University, he was arguably the richest man in the world. He rose from humble beginnings as a skipper ferrying passengers from Staten Island to Manhattan to become a railroads and shipping companies magnate. The engraved gold cigar box was a gift to Commodore Vanderbilt from a grateful stockholder, and the engravings on the gold case represent Vanderbilt’s railroad interests on one side and his shipping interests on the other.

[Engraved Gold Cigar Case]
New York, c. 1868
Vanderbilt University Memorabilia Collection

The engraved gold cigar case was a gift to Commodore Vanderbilt “from a stockholder. The
engravings on the gold case represent Vanderbilt’s railroad interests on one side and his
shipping interests on the othe

[24 Karat Engraved Gold House Anniversary Gift]
Goldsmith unknown
New York, 1863
Vanderbilt University Memorabilia Collection

This little gold house was a gift to Cornelius Vanderbilt from his wife Sophia on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. Sophia Johnson and Cornelius Vanderbilt were married for 53 years and had 13 children. The home represents the first house where the couple lived on Staten Island. In the doorway is a hand-etched woman and the words “C. Vanderbilt/G.Wedding/Dec. 19, 1863.”

Accompanying the house is a booklet describing the events of the evening, from the
review of all the gifts at 7:00 to its adjournment at midnight.

This treasure, along with the Congressional Gold Medal, was donated to the university by
the William H. Vanderbilt family in the autumn of 2022.

[Congressional Gold Medal]
Salathiel Ellis and Emmanuel Leutze
Philadelphia: U.S. Government, 1864
Vanderbilt University Memorabilia Collection

Awarded to Cornelius Vanderbilt by Congress in 1864 the Congressional Medal, given in
appreciation of the gift of the steamship Vanderbilt to the Union Navy during the Civil War,
is the highest expression of national appreciation to an individual or institution. The medal is commissioned by Congress and then minted by the U.S. Government to specifically
commemorate the person honored. In this case, the medal designed by Salathiel Ellis and
Emmanuel Leutze features a profile portrait of Cornelius Vanderbilt on one side with the
words “A Grateful Country to her Generous Son” and the reverse of the medal depicts a
kneeling and a standing figure, an eagle and ship and the Latin words “Bis Dat Qui Tempori
Dat” translating to “He Gave Twice Who Gave in Time.”