Department of Commerce Silver Medal awarded the Silver Medal each receive the award and the organization receives one framed certificate signed by the Secretary of Commerce to represent the entire organization. Department of Commerce Silver Medal The Department of Commerce Silver Medal is the second highest of three honor awards of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Silver Medal is presented by the Secretary of Commerce for exceptional service. The award may be presented to an individual, group, or organization in the Commerce Department for noteworthy or superlative contributions which have a direct and lasting impact with the department. The annual Department
Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates (full title: "Hans Brinker; or, the Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland") is a novel by American author Mary Mapes Dodge, first published in 1865. The novel takes place in the Netherlands and is a colorful fictional portrait of early 19th-century Dutch life, as well as a tale of youthful honor. The book's title refers to the beautiful silver skates to be awarded to the winner of the ice-skating race Hans Brinker hopes to enter. The novel introduced the sport of Dutch speed skating to Americans,