102769 | UNITED STATES. Hedy Lamarr gilt silver Medal.

102769  |  UNITED STATES. Hedy Lamarr gilt silver Medal. Issued 2018. Jewish American Hall of Fame series (50mm x 47mm, 92.62 g, 12h). By E. Daub at the Highland mint.

 

Bust facing slightly right, head and eyes upturned slightly left, and with hand on side of face in act of contemplation // Depiction of the frequency-hopping system designed and patented by Lamarr and Antheil; in four lines below, "films have a certain place / in time, Technology is forever." / Hedy Lamarr / 1914-2000. Edge: GP09 999FS.

 

JAHF 49. Choice Gem Mint State. Vibrant gilt surfaces, with a great matte nature. One of just 30 issued in gilt silver.

 

Hedy Lamarr was born Hedwig Eva Marie Kiesler to Jewish parents in Vienna in 1914, and gained worldwide fame through acting in 1933. Later that year, she was persuaded to change her name and move to Hollywood. She would then become one of the leading actresses of the period, though her contributions would not be limited to the silver screen. During World War II, she learned that the radio signal that controlled torpedoes could be jammed and, on account of knowledge that she had gained through her first marriage, she proposed a frequency-hopping system that could do just that. Though this was not taken up immediately by the U.S. Navy, engineers in the 1950s worked and expanded upon Lamarr's and George Antheil's (her friend, a composer and pianist) patent, with it being an early forerunner of technology widely-used today, such as Wi-Fi and GPS.

 

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Upload: 1 May 2024.

 

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