USA – FRBN – Battleship – Philadelphia – $2 – 1918 – Fr-754 – Extra Fine – Commemorated on the back of this banknote is the Battleship the USS New York, which served in both World War I and World War II. Commissioned on April 15th 1914, The Battleship was the 5th ship in the US navy to be Christened as the USS New York. Her first call to active duty occured in July of the year of her christening when she was sent as the flagship for the fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher to lead in the occupation and blockading of Veracruz during the conflict between the U.S. and Mexico that year. She was sent from Varacruz to the Atantic coast of Europe as the Great War began. When the U.S. entered into the War the USS New York was key in establishing absolute naval superiority of the allies in the Atlantic and was one of the ships present at the German Fleet’s surrender at the Firth of Forth in 1918. During World War II the USS New York served in the Atlantic again, first on escort duty and, once the US entered the conflict, she supported the allied assault on Axis forces in North Africa. In 1945 she entered the war in the Pacific theater, and was in the advance fleet in the initial bombardment of Iwo Jima. It is estimated she fired 11000 rounds from her main and secondary armament during the bombardment, more than any other ship in the US Navy, and was celebrated for the direct hit she made on a key enemy ammunition depot inland. Following Iwo Jima, she was a major player in the invasion of Okinawa, even becoming a target of kamekazi attacks which she weathered except for the loss of her catpult and spotter plane on deck. During World War II New York achieved two records for US battleships: longest continuous commission (414 days) and most miles sailed during wartime (123867 nautical miles) – only surpassed by HMS Rodney. She received three battle stars for her service during the War. Her final mission was slated to be as a target ship in Operation Crossroads, the Atomic weapons test at Bikini Atol. She survived both the surface blast on July 1st, 1946 and the underwater detonation that occured two weeks later. Having survived what had been intended to be her last mission she was made the target ship for a full-scale naval weapons excercise. On July 8th, 1948 the Battleship USS New York endured 8 hours of pounding by ships and plane of the US Navy until finally, as surface ships and submarines launched their full attack, she rolled and dove into the Pacific, her final resting place. No other US naval ship bore the name of New York until March 1st, 2008 when the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, constructed of steel from the Twin Towers devastated in the 9-11 attacks, was christened USS New York(LPD-21).