TheNewsletter ofMedal Collectors ofAmerica Volume13Number 7 July 2010 BoardMembers From the Editor 3 JohnSallay,President,[email protected] DavidMenchell,[email protected] Precious Metals Exhibition Outline 3 AnneE.Bentley,Secretary,[email protected] BarryD.Tayman,Treasurer BenjaminWeiss,Webmaster The Rare Spanish Carlos III, Al JohnW.Adams DavidT.Alexander,[email protected] Merito Medals, A Chronology 1764 to RobertF.Fritsch,[email protected] 1783 4 (bySteveCox) MargiHofer,[email protected] TonyLopez,[email protected] ScottMiller,[email protected] Photographs of Breda Medals 9 IraRezak,[email protected] DonaldScarinci,[email protected] MichaelTurrini,[email protected] Admiral Vernon Commentary 12 JohnW.Adams,Editor Letters to the Editor 12 99HighStreet,11thfloor Boston,MA02110 [email protected] BarryTayman,Treasurer 3115NestlingPineCourt EllicottCity,MD21042 [email protected] BenjaminWeiss,Webmaster [email protected] Website: medalcollectors.org EditorofCollectors’Guide,DickJohnson ([email protected]) Calendar for 2010 Dues: $30.00/Year$50.00/2years August 12th Clubmeeting3:00to5:00p.m.at Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston. What’sNewonOurWebsite! AnneBentleyandJohnAdams tospeak. CHECKOUTOURWEBSITEEVERYMONTH 1 From the Editor FollowingSteve’s article is a compendium ofwhichwearequiteproud. Includedareimages ofelevenofthe12medals Various of youwill be gettingdues commemoratingthePeaceofBreda. Despite reminders. Prompt payment will insurethat theextraordinaryaestheticappeal ofthese you get what appears to beacornucopiaof medals, therehas beennopublicationwhich goodmaterial inthesecondhalf. has brought them together. What youwill soon ThearticlebySteveCoxis anexcellent seeis anexciting“first.” contributiontoanunder-researchedtopic, If youhaven’t madeplans toattendour Spanish Indianpeacemedals. Stevecontinues annual meetingonAugust 12th at the his researchandpromises moretocome. In MassachusettsHistorical Society,shameon addition,wearehopingthat oneortwoofour you. members expert inthis areawill offertheir comments. Theexhibitionherewithdescribedmaybeviewed at theMassachusetts Historical Society. Attendees at theANAconventionneedwalkonlytwoblocks west from the Hynes Auditorium on BoylstonStreet toreachtheMHS. Precious Metals exhibition outline Secondfloorlobby: ExhibitionIntroduction (large Panel) Case1Introduction/Ships Columbiaand Washingtonmedal all threeversions logbook paintingon glass Revere’s entry Barrell silhouette HamiltonRoom: Case2Washington/WebsterComitiaAmericanaseries w.additions ofHenryLeesplashers; JohnPaulJones bronze NewburghAddress Washington’s epaulets Onwalls: General George Washington1784and1786,byWright andTrumbull,commissioned byJefferson (overthefireplace) Daniel Webster1830,byChesterHarding 2 OliverRoom: Case3 against wall Coinage 1630Massachusetts-BayCo.receipt forstock wampum 1652 NEshillingandthreepence 1652 Willowtreesixpence 1652 Pinetreeshilling pocket scale 1690/1note (replacement forcoinage) 1722parchment notes (ditto) various US coins tokens that circulated as money Onwall above: Governor John Winthropbyunidentified afteroriginal at StateHouse JeremyBelknapbyHenrySargent Case4/5centerofroom Betts medals side1 Betts introduction earliest Betts and Indianmedals side2 laterBetts throughRevolution,includingU.S.andDutch Diplomaticmedals Case6against wall Betts medals, Vernon series various examples: PortoBello,Chagre,Cartagena,Havana 2rare engravings ofPBandC assaults SilverpunchstrainerbyWilliam Breed 1741Mass.recruitingfor CubaBroadside Enlistment ms. Onwall above: 2or3 Hart maps Case7against wall WashingtoniafromAppleton fill thecasewithhighrarityWashingtonmedals andtokens celebratinghis life andthemourningmedals of1800. Onwall above: President George WashingtonbyGullager FramedMourninghandkerchief,c.1800 3 Case8/9centerofroom Numismatics of Massachusetts and US Mint School Medals onStorer side Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association HumaneSocietyoftheCommonwealthofMassachusetts IndianPeacemedals onUS Mint side Case10against wall Personal Medals&Decorations Selectionofpersonal medals Sawyer’s Indianportrait medals Ethermedals Rumford’s decorationandminiature Schofield’s awards for calligraphy Onwall above:CalligraphicdeerbyFieldingSchofield The Rare Spanish Carlos III, Al hundredhours of research Idecidedit was time toput myworkintoaresearchpaper. Iam not Merito Medals, a Chronology astrangertothis typeof project. In1974after a 1764 to 1783 (BySteveCox) decadeofhistoricsitelocationandresearch, I became afoundingmemberoftheSouthwest Littledid Irealizeonecool December AmericanHistoric Artifact Research morningof2004,that in April 2010 Iwouldbe Association,referredtoas “S.A.H.A.R.A.“ I writingan article about anearlySpanish medal servedas President formanyyears, and that at thetime Ihadno knowledgeof. It all enjoyedworkingwithmanyarcheologist, startedonatrip Imadetovisit afriendand museums,andresearch groups. fellowhistorybuff.The areaon, and After Istarted researchingthemedal,it surroundinghis farm,is richinsites from the didn’t takelongtofigure out that it was an first days of IndianRemoval,early1830’s. earlySpanish medal datingtothereignofthe Whileout ononesuchsite,ahistoricChoctaw Spanish King,Carlos III, 1759to1788.Fig.3. meetingplace,he glanceddownat the ground Thedrivingforcebehind mycuriositywas the andsawwhat hethought was asilverdollar. fact that forseveral years Iwas ableto find Afterexaminingit closer hesawit was not a onlyafewreferences andfewer Images, and coin,but somekindofmedal.Theinscriptions theywere all ofthelargerCarlos III, Al Merito onthemedal wereall in Spanish, andnodate medal.Forthesefirst few years it was very was onit that might help determinetheage. baffling. Iwas not goingtolet upuntil Ifound Afterlookingat it Ididn’t knowalot more anexampleofthesmallermedal tocompareto about it thanhedid,but havingspent 5 years theone Ihad. Noweven after6 years, Ihave runninga golddredgingoperationinEcuador, I onlydocumentedoneotherCarlos III, Al was abletotranslatethe Spanish inscriptions on Meritosmall medal.This was adayIwill not it. Iwas intriguedbyit,andafewmonths after forget. Iwas reviewinga book,anduppopped acquiringit, Idecidedtodedicatesometime animageofasmall Carlos III,Al Merito researchingit.After6 years andseveral medal,andit was identical totheone Ihad. 4 Fig.2. Igot incontact withMorris Arnold, IIIhadresolvedtohavesomegoldandsilver authorofthis book,“RumbleofaDistant medals madebearinghis imageontheobverse, Drum:TheQuapaws &OldWorld andthewords Al Meritoonthereverse.These Newcomers 1673-1804”.Mr.Arnoldwas kind weretobemilitarydecorations tobeawarded enough tohelpmecontact theowners ofthe at theGovernors discretion,toofficers of the medal,Mr.andMrs.LawrenceSupernaw; new militiaunits inHavana.It is also statedin theyaredirect descendants ofBuffaloChief,a 1764that Secretaryof War, Esquilachz, and Quapaw Chieffrom 1760to1773,towhom Secretaryof State,Grimaldi,whowere thismedal was presented.iTheSupernaw appointedbyCarlos IIIin1762,as Ministerial familywas veryhelpful inmyresearch into Council fortheDefiance of theEmpire, this subject. personallysaw tothis mater. Theyalso had Thepracticeofpresentingmedals to commissionedThomas FranciscoPrietoto IndianChiefs inAmerica startedlongbefore engravethedies.v colonial independence,eventhoughthe exact Prietowas appointedin1748as the dateis unknown,theSpanish, French, and Principal Engraverofthe Royal Mint,in British presentedmedals toChiefs longbefore Madrid. In1761underCarlos IIIhewas colonial independence.ii appointedEngraverGeneral ofCoins and Thefirst medals struck andpresented as Medals. IndianPeaceMedals to IndianChiefs bythe Thefirst editionoftheCarlos III, Al Spanish weretheCarlos III, Al Meritomedals, Meritomedal “thesmall medal”was struck struckafterthecessionof LouisianatoSpainin July20,1764. Theobversebearinganaked 1762.Theearliest knownSpanish peacemedals bust ofCarlos III,inRomanstyle,withshort foundinAmerica, andstruckspecificallyas hairanda crownof Laurel leaves, aroundthe IndianPeaceMedals wereCarlos III, Al borderwerethe wordsCARLOS III REYDE Merito,largemedals, Betts 536,referredtoas ESPDELAS INDIAS andonthereverse, “Spanish Indian(?)Medal.iii surroundedbya wreathof Laurel leaves, the In1764theSpanish Al Meritomilitary wordsAL MERITO.Theinscriptiononeach decorationwas createdto present toSpanish sidewas inSpanish ratherthan Latin,which militiaofficers inHavanaformilitary was theonlylanguagepermittedforofficial accomplishments.ivThefirst referencetothe medals ofthekingdom.Themedals had creationoftheAlMerito medal appears ina suspensionrings which apparentlywere communicationdatedFeb.14,1769from Julian applied,vihoweverappear tohavebeenpart of deArriaga,“Secretaryof Marine,andofthe thecasting. InPrieto’s medal accounts ofJuly Indies”,toMiguel deMuzquiz,”Secretaryof 20,1764thefirst strikingconsistedof12Gold, theSpanish Treasury”,inwhichthefollowing and32Silvermedals. It is also likely,as was references arenoted.Ina communicationdated thecustom,that somewerestruckinbronzeto April 24,1764theMarquis of Esquilache begiventopersons participatingintheminting advisedJuliandeArriagathat theking,Carlos ofthemedal.Thesewouldnot havehad suspensionrings. InMay17,1765,50more iPhoneconversationbetweenSteveCoxandRisa silvermedals wereordered, 68werecast,but ProctorSupernaw,Feb.14,2008 only50werestruck.This order,likethe first iiIndianPeaceMedalsinAmericanHistory,FrancisPaul orderwas tobesent toAmerica.References to Prucha iiiAmericanColonialHistoryIllustratedBy ContemporaryMedals,1894, CharlesWyllysBetts. vArchivoGeneraldeSimancas(A.G.S.)Superintendent Page239 andSecretaryofthe House,Madrid,Page834 ivTheFirstSpanishMilitaryDecorations,Thomas vi TheFirstSpanishMilitaryDecorations,Thomas FranciscoPrieto’sAlMeritoMedals,ElviraVillena, FranciscoPrieto’sAl MeritoMedals,ElviraVillena, FromtheMedalNo.36,page25. FromtheMedalNo.36,page27. 5 theseearlymedals beingusedas Indianpeace 1771Fernandode Leyba, GovernorofSpanish medals canbe found2 years laterinthespring Illinois, was sent asmall medal byLuis de of1767whenGovernor of Louisiana,Antonio Ungaza,theGovernorof Louisiana,tobe deUlloa,sent anexpeditiontothemouthofthe presentedtotheQuapaw Chief,Cazenonpoint. Missouri River. In acommunicationtothe In returntheChief was tosurrenderhis French commanderit was stated that it hadalways medal.Afterseeingthat theSpanish medal was beenapracticetogivemedals ofthekingtothe smallerthantheFrench medal,Cazenonpoint Chiefs andSubChiefs.vii declaredtheSpanish had cheatedhim,and TheAl Meritomedals werenot struck demandedhis Frenchmedal bereturned.xi againuntil 1769,whenonFeb.22ofthesame OnFeb.26,1772,2medals weresent to yearMazquiz issuedaroyal ordertostrike18 Peru.OnAugust 24,1772,2moremedals were Goldmedals, andtoconservethedies for sent toPeru. possiblefutureorders. InPrieto’s medal Betweenthe years of1764and1773, accounts ofMarch29,1769hehadstruck20 theQuapawChief(Ki-He-Kah)BuffaloChief, medals,ofwhich6were sent toJuliande was presentedasmall Spanish medal.This ArrigaonApril 2.Shortlyafter,Alejandro medal is inthepossessionofdescendants of O’ReillysucceededUlloaas governorof BuffaloChief.This is oneofonlytwoCarlos Louisiana. Inthefall of1769,hedistributed III, Al Meritosmall Spanish medals Ihave small Spanish medals left tohim byUlloa,to foundrecordofthat is still inexistencetoday. thechiefs livingwithin60leagues (207Miles) Thesecondonebeingthe onefoundonthe ofNewOrleans.viii Thesmall medals were ChoctawsiteinOklahomainDec.2004, and presentedtoChiefs ofthefollowingtribes, mentionedearlierinthis paper.This medal is in Tunicas, Taensas, Pacanas, Houmas, theSteveCox Collection. Bayogoulas, Ofogoulas, Chaouachas, and OnApril 8,1775at therequest of Luis Ouachas, andonOct.22, toChiefs ofthe deUnzaga,theGovernor of Louisiana,4Gold Chahtos Biloxis,Pascagoulas, andMobilians, and2silvermedals were sent tothe andonOct.29,theChitiachas, andon Nov.16, Department ofMarine, andthe Indies. Unzaga theQuapaws.ix theGovernorof Louisianahadalso distributed In1770 AthanasedeMezieres, small medals left tohim bytheprevious Lieutenant GovernoroftheSpanish Frontier Governorof Louisiana, AlejandroO’Reilly. In distributedthesmall Spanish medals toChiefs July1777,2more gold medals weresent to oftheCadodacho,Petit Cado,andYatansi Chile. InJuly1778,underthegovernor of tribes.x Spanish Illinois, Frnando de Leyba,2small OnOct.16,1770,2more weresent to medals were giventoOsageChiefs, and theViceroyofPeru.OnJuly27,1771,2Gold another4to6moremedals were requested.xii and2silvermedals weresent toArriaga.In viiInstructionstoUlloa,March6,1767.TheSpanish RegimeinMissouri.LouisHouck,R.R.Donnelleyand SonsCo.1909,Page11-12. viiiStatementaccompanyingO’ReillytoJuliande Arriaga,Oct.17,1769,SpainintheMississippiValley, xiFernandodeLeybatoLuisdeUnzagayAmezaga,The ByLawrenceKinnaird,1949,Volume1,Page102. EducationofFernandodeLeyba:Quapawsand ixIndiansSettlersandSlavesinaFrontierExchange SpaniardsontheBorderEmpires.ByKathleenDuVal, EconomythroughtheLowerMississippiValleybefore PrintedintheArkansasHistoricalQuarterley,Volume 1783,ByDanielH.Usner,JR.1992,Page131. 60,No.1,Spring2001,Page1-29. xSpanishLouisianaHistoricalAssociation,NotableMen xiiGalveztoLeyba,Sept.2,1778,Spaininthe andWomenofLouisiana,“AthanasedeMezieres”2004, MississippiValley,ByLawrenceKinnaird,1949, ByTrumanStacey,Page1. Volume1,Page305,321. 6 On August 22,1777orders were given totheRoyal Mint tocreatenewdies fortheAl Meritomedal that would increasethediameter from 36mm to54mm.Thenewmedals were tobesimilartothefirst issueinalmost everythingbut size.This jobagainfell to Prieto. In April 1778,30largesilvermedals hadbeenstruck.xiii Otherthansize,thesecond editionmedals were almost identical tothe smallerfirst editionmedals, themaindifference beingthebust ofCarlos III, onthelargermedal Carlos wares theGolden Fleeceona ribbon aroundhis neck, andthe engravers name ”Prieto”underthebust. OnApril 14,1778,24of thelarger medals weredeliveredtoGovernorJose In February1776Carlos IIIorderedthe Galvez.OnMay,2more were givento Don creationof anew Al Meritomedal ofa greater Gabriel,theson oftheking.The4 that diameter.The reason for this orderwas givenin remainedweresent totheDept.ofthe acommunicationonAugust 19,1777from Treasury. As withthefirst editionsmall JosedeGalvez toMiguel deMuzquiz, medals, therewere also Bronzemedals struck indicatingthat the Indian Chiefs ofthe without suspensionrings, andgivenout to Provinceof Louisianawereinsultedbecause persons involvedintheminting.Thelarger themedals giventhem bytheEnglish were medals weretobestruck specificallyfor largerthantheones giventoUnzaga, governor presentationto Indianchiefs of Louisiana, and of Louisiana,tobedistributedtothem. tobestruckinsilveronly. TheCarlos III, Al Merito small silver InMay1778,as a result oforders given medals werestruckbetweenJuly20,1764,and byJosedeGalvez,95of theoriginal 108small thespringof,1783. Iknowofonlytwo existing 1764first editionmedals weretobesent back specimens ofthis medal. Small Specimen#1, totheRoyal Mint tobe melteddown.After Fig.2. Themedal presentedtotheQuapaw May1778,thesmall medals weretobestruck Chief(Ki-He-Kah)between1764and1773. specificallyas militarydecorations tobe Small Specimen#2,Fig. 3.SteveCox awardedtomilitiaofficers intheAmericas. Collection. Theseweretobeonlystruckingold. It shouldbenotedhoweverthat the small silvermedals were still beingrequested forQuapawChiefs as lateas 1785. Inaletter dated1785from Captain DuBreuil, Commandant ofArkansas Post,He recommended aQuapaw Chiefnamed Thagesideska, forasmall medal.xivChiefs at this timewerecommissionedas LargeMedal xiiiA.H.N.FondosContemporaneousMinisteriode Hacienda,Madrid,Leg7870,Exp.3. 7 Chiefs, Small Medal Chiefs, andGorget Chiefs whichwouldindicatethat bothsmall andlarge medals werestill beingpresented.This practice continuedintothereign ofCarlos IV. OnJuly1778,2 goldmedals were strucktosendtoGalvez.Startingin1779both largesilverandsmall goldmedals werestruck andsent toAmerica.On March11,1779,102 largesilvermedals were struck.OnApril 5, 1779,20oftheseand4previouslystrucklarge silvermedals and24Small goldmedals were sent toGuatemala.May16,1779,32more gold medals werestruckandsent toAmerica. In 1780,52small goldmedals werestruck,but neversent toAmerica. Its weighs 776 grains “50 Grams.” Its material In Feb.1781, at St. Louis,theSpanish is chieflysilver. Its obversebears abust,one GovernorDon Francisco Cruzat received16 andonehalfinches high. Thebust was medals todistributetoSacChiefs. originallyencircledbyaninscriptionnow OnMarch16,1783thelast 2small gold almost illegible.Uponthereverseis theword medals weresent toAmericatotheViceroyof Merito.This legendis inthemidst ofawreath SantaFe. tiedwithribbons. This relichas aholebored TheCarlos III, Al Merito largemedals throughit inthemargin, so that it couldbe werestruckbetweenApril 1778,andMarch16, hungroundone's neck. ThewordMeritoseems 1783. Iknowofonlythreeexistingspecimens tohavebeenoriginallyPorMerito. Onthe ofthis medal. LargeSpecimen#1,Fig.4.This Obversethe words Carlos, Espanaand Indias medal is intheMuseum LazaroinSpain.Size aredecipherable. Aftercareful studythewords notedas 56mm,Photos exist inthe1948-1950 werethought tobe "Carlos III.ReyD'Espana photographicinventories, Camps Cazorla. delas Indias."This medal has remainedinthe LargeSpecimen#2,Fig. 5.This medal is from collectionoftheWisconsinHistorical Society theJohnW.Adams Collection,sizelistedas sincethe1860’s. 55.5mm,Stack’s AmericanaSale2009. Large Specimen#3,Fig.6.This medal is somewhat cloudedwithmystery. It wasdiscoveredin 1862inWisconsininanIndianmound at LowerPrairieduChien.Theearlyaccount I haveofthemedal describes it as follows. Its diameteris twoandone-eighthinches “54mm.” It is widelyacceptedthat this medal was presentedtoChiefHuisconsinorChief 8 Mitasse,oftheSauks andFoxes bySpanish Al Meritomedals torule out anyconfusion GovernorDon Francisco Cruzat onNov.20, betweenthetwo. 1781,inSt.Louis. In conclusion Ihopetheinformation Ithinkit is likelythat the discrepancies presentedherewill help answermanyofthe inthewordingandmeans ofattachment forthis questions that surroundtheCarlos III, Al medal areduetoits verypoorcondition.To Meritomedals, andtheir intendeduses. validatethis opinion Imadeascaletransparent overlayof LargeSpecimen#2,andit matched LargeSpecimen#1.The overlayalso matched Photographs of Breda Medals theremainingfeatures of LargeSpecimen#3, includingontheobverse, Bust andhairlines, wreathand ribbonlines, andparts ofthe word As perDavidMenchell’s articleinthe Carlos. Onthereversethematches are clearon Juneissue,thereare anevendozenmedals thewreath andtheword merit.Theletter Lof commemoratingthePeaceofBreda. David Al Meritois also veryclear,whichdismisses suppliedphotographs of fiveofthesemedals; theearlyspeculationthat thewordwas Por. In ourcorrespondent Sim Comfort has contributed additiontheremains ofanattachingringseem two; and ye editorhas addedanother four. tobepresent. Herewitharevised andcorrectedconcordance alongwithimages of11 ofthe12medals. To ourknowledge,this is thefirst photographic collectionofits kind. Medallic Paxin Illustrations Nummis VanLoon MII,176/528 Pax 257,258 II,534 177/529 259,260 II534 178/530 262 II534 179/531 261 II534 180/531 263,264,265 II,538 181/532 268 II,538 182/533 266 II,538 183/534 - II,538 184/534 267 II,538 Betts #536is describingthismedal, 185/535 269 II,522 andgives thesameorigin “PrairieduChien” 186/535 270,271,272 II,522 187/536 273 anddescriptionthat is giveninthe“Report and Collections oftheStateHistorical Societyof Wisconsin,forthe years 1880,1881and1882, Vol. IX”. Forthese reasons Ibelievethat the3 knownspecimens Ilist here,as well as “Betts #536”are all thesamedesign,Carlos III, Al Meritolargemedal,struckbetweenApril 1878, andMarch16,1783. OnDec.14,1788Carlos IIIdiedand themedals becameinvalid.There aresufficient differences inthesemedals, andtheCarlos IV 9 MI,I176/528 MI,I,177/529 10