Featured Junipero Serra National Medal

ZoidMeister · Jan 17, 2024

Worthy of a bump . . . . . .

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Millard · Nov 20, 2024

Such a great story and write up. Years ago on a visit to Texas my wife and I toured the Spanish Missions around San Antonio (I think there were 9). Some were only foundations and standing walls but others were still in use and well maintained. Thank you for posting!

CoinCorgi · Nov 20, 2024

Millard said: ↑

Such a great story and write up. Years ago on a visit to Texas my wife and I toured the Spanish Missions around San Antonio (I think there were 9). Some were only foundations and standing walls but others were still in use and well maintained. Thank you for posting!
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I grew up in Texas and took "Texas History" in school. Never learned about the Texas missions (except for The Alamo). I eventually ended up here in California where you can't help but hear about the missions. Reading about the Spanish and their missions while researching this post I learned about the missions in Texas (and elsewhere in the U.S.). Cool. But all I can say now is...

"Remember the Alamo!"

Millard · Nov 20, 2024

CoinCorgi said: ↑

I grew up in Texas and took "Texas History" in school. Never learned about the Texas missions (except for The Alamo). I eventually ended up here in California where you can't help but hear about the missions. Reading about the Spanish and their missions while researching this post I learned about the missions in Texas (and elsewhere in the U.S.). Cool. But all I can say now is...

"Remember the Alamo!"
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Dito! My first trip to San Antonio was 1994 I believe. Growing up in the 1950/60's with Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone etc. my first sight of the Alamo was incredible. There it was! In all its splendor, and I went back several times. I really enjoyed all my trips to San Antonio.

lordmarcovan · Nov 21, 2024

CoinCorgi said: ↑

I grew up in Texas and took "Texas History" in school. Never learned about the Texas missions (except for The Alamo).
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Our 16th and 17th century Georgia missions are even less well known. I found a numismatic clue to the site of one of them, once, while metal detecting.

Millard · Dec 8, 2024

CoinCorgi said: ↑

For reference, from PCGS:

View attachment 1576401

Historical Background

Padre Junipero Serra…

was born in 1713 (Spain)

founded the first mission in Alta California at age 55 (1769)

died in 1784 (Carmel, CA)

was honored when in 1963 Congress passed the bill authorizing the minting of the National Commemorative Medal honoring the 250th anniversary of his birth; President Kennedy signed the bill into law in 1963, 1 month before his assassination; medals were minted in 1964

was beatified in 1988

was canonized in 2015

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Missions of Alta California (what is now the U.S. State of California) were established by the Franciscans during Spain’s conquest of the Americas (i.e., New Spain). Having already settled Mexican territories (including the establishment of many missions run by the Catholic Church - Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans), Spain made plans to expand into Alta California. These plans were made, in part, out of concern that the Russians were moving south along the Pacific coast as part of their colonization of America (i.e., Russian America). The English were no longer an issue by this time in part because Sir Francis Drake had already stopped raiding the Spanish ships and settlements along the Pacific coast of America. Another goal was to Christianize the extensive indigenous populations*.

The Spanish expansion into Alta California was achieved through the establishment of Pueblos (for civilian settlers), Presidios (for the Spanish armies) and Missions (for the Catholic church). Padre Junipero Serra of the Franciscan Order was put in charge of the Franciscan missionary team that was to go north into Alta California as part of the Portola Expedition, departing Mexico in early 1769. Along the way he established Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana de Velicata, in Baja California on May 14th, 1769. On July 16, 1769, he had made it into Alta California where he founded Mission San Diego de Alcala in what is now San Diego, CA. This was the first of 9 missions he was to establish in Alta California, and the first of 21 missions to be founded in total by the Franciscans in Alta California between 1796 and 1832. Mission San Diego de Alcala is the southernmost mission of the 21, with the northernmost mission being Mission San Francisco Solano, which was founded in 1832 in what is now Sonoma, CA.

A map of the 21 Missions in Alta California:

View attachment 1576402

Meanwhile, the Russians made it as far south into what is now Sonoma County, establishing Fort Ross near present day Healdsburg, CA. The Russians sold the settlement to John Sutter in 1849 for $30,000. Some historians claim Sutter never actually made the payment and thus the settlement still belongs to the Russian people!

Beginning in early 1800’s, Spain basically lost interest in Alta California (too costly). This along with such events as secularization, Mexican independence from Spain, discovery of gold in California, the Mexican-American War, and California Statehood led to a decline in the influence and relevance of the missions. The missions did, however, become the locals for many cities including some of California’s biggest, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. Currently most of the missions are still (or once again) run by the Catholic Church.

* Note: The effects (good and bad) that Spain’s colonization and the Catholic Missions’ presence had on the history and indigenous populations of Baja and Alta California is controversial and debatable. As is the appropriateness of the beatification and canonization of Junipero Serra. I will let the reader decide how much he wants to read about these issues, but please do not discuss them here on CoinTalk.

Edited to add this annotated image of the reverse of the medal:

View attachment 1576405

Remarkably, there is enough detail in each of the mission images to uniquely identify each of the 10 missions depicted.
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Corgi, are you collecting the medals? I recently saw these at auction. If you are interested and can PM me I will pass the auction info along. the dansco book holds 22 and has 14 medals and 8 unfilled spaces holes.

Millard · Dec 8, 2024

A few more pics

CoinCorgi · Dec 9, 2024

Millard said: ↑

Corgi, are you collecting the medals? I recently saw these at auction. If you are interested and can PM me I will pass the auction info along. the dansco book holds 22 and has 14 medals and 8 unfilled spaces holes.
View attachment 1649626
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I do not collect these medals...just the u.s. commemorative featured in my 1st post. While researching this article I saw this Dansco on eBay ( I think). I thought about it but decided not to pursue.

I appreciate your post! Thanks for thinking of it.

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