The Comitia Americana medals were a series of pieces which the Continental Congress awarded to American and French military leaders. All but one of the medals were produced in France. Things moved slowly, and many of the medals were not awarded until will after the war. This is a collection I formed over a 30 year period. I tired to get as many pieces as I could that were struck from the original dies, but that is hard to do. Some pieces, as noted, were made from copy dies that were made at the Philadelphia Mint and sometimes France. The descriptions of the battles are quite brief, by necessity. Washington Before Boston The Evacuation of Boston, March 17, 1776 The Continental Congress voted to award a gold medal to George Washington for forcing the British out of Boston. They took that vote several months BEFORE they voted for independence. This piece was stuck from the original die pair, which makes it special. There have been five or six more modern renderings of this design through the years. There are an estimated 50 or so pieces known from the original dies. General Horatio Gates The Battle of Saratoga, October 17, 1777 This medal was awarded to General Horatio Gates for his victory at the Battle of Saratoga. Others, including Benedict Arnold, should have also been recognized. This medal was stuck at the Philadelphia Mint from the original die pair, which was sent to America. As these medals go, this one is fairly common. Brigadier General Anthony Wayne Lieutenant Colonel Francois de Fleury Major John Stewart Battle of Stony Point, July 15, 1779 Stony Point was the site of a fort on the Hudson River 30 miles north of New York City. In 1779 the British were looking to capture the American fort at West Point. The fall of West Point would have given the British control of the Hudson River and would have isolated New England from the rest of the colonies. To relieve the British pressure on West Point and to open the transportation lines from New England, George Washington ordered Anthony Wayne to take the British held forts at Stony Point and Verplanck’s Point. Without firing a shot, the American captured the British position. The area was indefensible, and the Americans had to withdraw after capturing it. A gold medal was a awarded to General Anthony Wayne and silver medals were awarded to French Lieutenant Colonel Francois de Fleury and Major John Stewart. All of these medals range in rarity for difficult to find to impossible for the vast majority of collectors. The Anthony Wayne and Francois de Fleury Medals - The copy dies for this piece and the de Fleury medal was made at the Philadelphia Mint. The John Stuart medal is unobtainable for almost all collectors. There are a few pieces in museums, including the Massachusetts Historical Society, which has a complete set of these medals in silver. Thomas Jefferson brought that set with him when he returned for Paris after serving as our ambassador there. Major Henry Lee Attack on Paulus Hook, August 19, 1779 Paulus Hook was sandy beach that was across from New York City. Major Lee captured the area using similar tactics that were used at Stoney Point. The order for the Major Lee medal somehow fell through the cracks. A medal for him was made at the Philadelphia Mint, but both dies cracked during their production. It is not known if Lee ever received his medal. Lee was the father of Confederate general, Robert E. Lee. This piece was stuck at the Philadelphia Mint after the Civil War. The obverse was stuck with the original broken die. The reverse die was a reproduction. Captain John Paul Jones Capture of the Serapis, September 23, 1779 Captain John Paul Jones was awarded this medal for his victory over the British Navy. This medal was stuck from the original die pair, which still exists. It is on display at the tomb of John Paul Jones which is located at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, Lieutenant Colonel William A. Washington Lieutenant Colonel John Eager Howard Victory at the Cowpens, January 17, 1781 The British moved the Revolutionary War theater to the south after fighting to a stalemate in the north. The Battle of the Cowpens was the biggest American victory there. A gold medal was awarded to General Daniel Morgan, and silver medals were awarded William Washington and John Howard. The Morgan medal below was struck from copy dies that were made under unusual circumstances. The original gold medal that was awarded to Morgan was stolen and presumedly melted. The family asked for a replacement. The piece in the Massachusetts Historical Society was sent to Paris and copy dies were made. This piece was struck in Paris from those dies. William Washington, a distant relative of George Washington. This and the following piece were stuck from the original die pair. John Eager Howard
John, I cannot think of a single post of yours where I did not learn something new. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I feel that I should have been charged an admission fee before reading. Most museums aren't free . . . Z
