Who among us has owned a Teddy Bear – maybe even still has a Teddy Bear? Some Teddy Bears are quite famous, including Winnie-the-Pooh and Paddington Bear, and of course there’s fuzzy one-liner comedian Fozzie Bear of Muppets fame. No doubt the Care Bears, which debuted on the greeting card scene in 1981 and later became stars of screens small and large, were inspired by Teddy Bears.
Many famous figures have owned Teddy Bears, too. Thurston “The Millionaire” Howell (played by Jim Backus) from Gilligan’s Island had Teddy, the lasagna-loving cartoon cat Garfield had a Teddy Bear named Pooky, and Big Bird on Sesame Street had a Teddy Bear named Radar – an homage to the M*A*S*H character Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (played by Gary Burghoff), who owned a Teddy Bear in the 1970s-era comedy-drama TV series about the Korean War. Even eccentric British character Mr. Bean, portrayed by comedian Rowan Atkinson, cherished his Teddy Bear, simply named Teddy.
But what’s up with Teddy Bears anyway? Why are they so famous? When were Teddy Bears invented? All great questions to ask, especially since September 9 is National Teddy Bear Day!
The ubiquitous toy and cultural staple traces back to 1902, when President Theordore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt refused to take down a bear cub while hunting in Mississippi. The news media caught wind of the environmentalist’s good deeds (don’t forget, President Theodore Roosevelt protected some 230 million acres of national land during his presidency). Soon, cartoonist Clifford Berryman published a cartoon in The Washington Post depicting the bear event, and this inspired New York merchant Morris Michtom to invent a stuffed bear toy with the name “Teddy.” Michtom even wrote to President Roosevelt asking for his permission to use the name “Teddy Bear” for the new toy.
Coin collectors also have a special place in their hearts for “Teddy” Roosevelt, whose place is large in the annals of United States numismatic history. The 26th president was responsible for the grand “Renaissance of United States Coinage” that started around 1905, after Roosevelt complained about the lack of artistic depth on America’s coins. Roosevelt personally commissioned famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign all U.S. coin denominations, from the cent through the double eagle.
Saint-Gaudens sadly passed away before he could complete the monumental redesign project, but he did manage to leave us with the Indian Eagle and eponymous Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. Other acclaimed artists eventually provided other renowned U.S. coin designs, including Victor David Brenner with his Lincoln Cent, James Earle Fraser with his Buffalo Nickel, Adolph A. Weinman with the Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty Half Dollar, Hermon A. MacNeil with the Standing Liberty Quarter, Anthony de Francisci with the Peace Dollar, and Saint-Gaudens protege Bela Lyon Pratt with the incused Indian Head Quarter Eagle and Indian Head Half Eagle.
Even “Teddy” himself adorned a United States coin of his own. Roosevelt appears on a 2013 Presidential $1 Coin. The Presidential $1 Coins, including the many beautiful early 20th-century pieces catalyzed by President Roosevelt’s desire for enhanced numismatic art on U.S. coinage, can be collected in a variety of PCGS Registry Sets.