File:McGovernBelt.jpg

Terry McGovern's 1899 "Police Gazette Bantam Weight Champion of the World Prize Ring Belt" (image courtesy of Mike Silver; and IBRO). Property of the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY).

The actual dimensions are 9¾" high and 42½" long. It is made of silver and gold-plated metal decorated with enamel and colored stones. Inscribed on two of the nine panels are the names of six world champions: Terry McGovern, Abe Attell, Joe Gans, Stanley Ketchel, Mickey Walker, and Jack Dempsey.

Seven of the panels feature raised statuettes. The center panel is of McGovern's face beneath an eagle, surrounded by painted enamel engravings of the flags of America, England, and France. At the top of the center panel is a sculpture of the head of a wolf surrounded by different colored stones. Both end panels of the belt are engraved with the names of the afore-mentioned champions.

There are two inscriptions on the center panel. The first reads: Police Gazette Bantamweight Champion of the World Prize Ring Belt. The second reads: Presented by Richard K. Fox, Franklin Square. (Fox was the original publisher of the Police Gazette.)

McGovern relinquished the bantamweight title before the end of 1899 when he could no longer make the weight limit; he then campaigned successfully as a featherweight. This belt reverted back to the Police Gazette sometime later, and to its new owner in 1930.

This belt was gifted to the MCNY by Harold H. Roswell in December 1980.

Source: Mike Silver, Curator for the National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia; IBRO Journal Issue No. 86, pp. 25-26.

• Photo of McGovern wearing this belt.