The First Medals of America
Comitia Americana and Associated Medals
People interested in coin collecting, medal collecting, and American Revolutionary history will enjoy this read. The American Continental Congress issued eleven medals for valor during the American Revolution. This book tells the stories behind these brave men and their exploits, and the long process of procuring their individual medals. America had no generic medal for valor at the time. They also had no mint, so had to have France and their sculptors create each medal. This was a labor of love for Franklin and Jefferson while they were Ambassadors to France. Thomas Jefferson himself collected the medals, and presented a set of them to George Washington. Collectors of these medals often include in the series other medals sculpted by the same engravers and struck in Paris relating to the American Revolution. People call the collecting area Comitia Americana (Latin for American Congress). Twenty-six medals are pictured in full page color photographs. The book includes full information about types of medals available and their cost. Foreword by Niel Musante. Topics covered are:
Chapter 1. Introduction and Franklin
Chapter 2. Medals procured by Franklin: De Fleury 1779 and Libertas Americana 1783
Chapter 3. Dupré's Franklin Medals 1784 & 1786
Chapter 4. Medals procured by Humphreys 1787: Gates and Greene
Chapter 5. Jefferson 1789: Washington before Boston Medal
Chapter 6. Jefferson 1789: two remaining Stony Point Medals, Wayne & Stewart Medals
Chapter 7. Jefferson 1789: 3 Cowpens medals; Morgan, William Washington & Howard Medals
Chapter 8. William Short 1789: Jones Medal
Chapter 9. Jefferson and Short: Diplomatic Medal
Chapter 10. Lee Paulus Hook Medal
Chapter 11. Related medals: Treaty of Paris Medal, Lafayette Vengeur Medal
Table of types of Comitia Americana Medals and prices, Timeline, Lists, Index
Peter trained at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, UK, doing a dual residency in Family Practice and Internal Medicine. In 1977 he immigrated with his wife, Ann, and their three daughters to rural Connecticut, where he practiced Internal medicine for 39 years. His avocations have included classical piano playing, flamenco and classical guitar playing, American financial history, magic and numismatics. He has also authored Notable Notes, Colonial History in Your Hands, Dow Jones by Peter Jones, Commemorative Coin Tales, and with Cynthia Adams, Therapeutic Communication, now in its third edition.
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