Featured Junipero Serra National Medal

Me too. Do we tag a mod or something?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I live 5 miles, as the crow flies, from Mission San Juan Bautista. Soledad, Carmel and Santa Cruz are all about a half hour away. We all studied them in school and were told how great they were for our state's history.

The saddest thing is what we weren't taught about these missions. The local Native American Tribes were forced to build these Missions by Father Junipero Serra and the Spanish Army. The men that resisted were beaten into submission and most were horrifically killed in front of others to send a message. The women were enslaved, raped, and beaten as well. The children were taken and re-educated into Spanish Catholicism.

To say that Junipero Serra and the Missions are part of our history is correct. However, to some, that medal is the equivalent of the German Swastika or the Confederate Flag. They are reminder of a violent past that decimated a vast amount of people, their language, culture, and stole their land. Basically, erasing them from the history books, all for the purpose of "saving" them.

Sorry to burst a bubble or two, but sometimes a coin needs more than two sides!

 

And here's a historical tidbit which may explain the medal.

In the 1780's Spain and France were in a "cold war" with Britain. In March of 1780 the King of Spain took up a collection of money from Spain and the Spanish colonies to aid in harassing the British.

The total money collected amounted to roughly $137 in gold, and the money was sent to Mexico, combined with other contributions from the Spanish colonies, then sent to Spain, and then to General George Washington of the (American) Continental Army which was fighting the British.

 

I received the bronze version of the medal yesterday (thanks to John Dean).

I will not be pursuing the gold or platinum (but if they pursued me, that'd be okay).

Bronze specs:
Weight: 16.73g; Diameter: 34mm; Edge: Plain; Turn: Medal

Silver specs:
Weight: 19.87g; Diameter: 34mm; Edge: Plain; Turn: Medal

Bronze obv....


Bronze rev....

-----

Bronze & Silver obv....


Bronze & Silver rev....

 

I shall repeat...

 

@GDJMSP this would be a lovely featured piece!

 

@charley does (devil)

Worthy and most interesting thread for Featured status.

 

One of my favorite missions is the extremely bizarre ruins of the original La Purisima, located smack dab between a straight up residential suburb and a disused railroad track in Lompoc, CA.

 

Can you say approximately where those pics were taken. What street, etc.?

Yeah, I think this is one of the first (if not the very first ) mission I visited.

 

Yes, it was sort of spread around the 500 block of South F street in Lompoc.

Many of The residences have small walls or boundaries using the stones from the mission. A very unique area that almost nobody knows about!

 

I see it now. The original location which I did not know about - now I do. Thanks.

The current location is about 5 miles away, north/northeast of town. The original location is on the south side of town.

https://noehill.com/santabarbara/nat1978000775.asp

 

Great write up and Mission pics of California, happens to be my home dirt as well and I love it here!

 

The new LP mission is incredibly well maintained, but visitation seems extremely low. It was a ghost town when I went, just a single park ranger doing some clean up here and there.

I do wonder sometimes how original that bright salmon color is, or if it’s a modern interpretation.

 

I believe the color is meant to match the original structures that were destroyed by an earthquake...based it on pictures. I forget where I read this.

 

I saw your featured article and it inspired me to go on a bike ride and visit the San Diego mission.

 

Cool. Did you go inside on self guided tour?

 

I didn't have much time so I had to ride back for dinner with some friends. I will check it out next time though! I live in SD now.

 

Yeah, I want to go back there again. When we were there just recently there was a funeral going on in the chapel, so we didn't get to see much of it.

 

We stopped by this past weekend...



Gordon peed on the sign. So embarrassing.

 

Recently added the 14th mission to my list. San Louis Obispo de Tolosa, the 5th California Mission founded by Padre J.S. in 1772.