Danish Free Black Citizenship Commemorative Medal
date: label: Date
content: April 18, 1834
name: label: Designed by
content: Frederik Christopher Krohn, Danish, 1806 - 1883
label: Subject of
content: Frederick VI, Danish Norwegian, 1768 - 1839
notes: label: Description
content: A Danish Free Black Citizenship Commemorative Medal, issued by the Free Blacks of Saint Thomas, to commemorate the royal edict passed by Frederick VI on April 18, 1834. The medal is round, and bronze toned. The obverse of the medal is edged with thin a concentric circle. In the center of the medal is a relief Romanized portrait of a bust of Frederick VI. Frederick VI is depicted in profile, wearing a laurel wreath on his head, and facing the right edge of the medal. His head is crowned by relief text that reads, [FREDERICUS VI REX DANIÆ]. Below Frederick VI is small relief text that reads [INCOLÆ LIBERI COLORATI INSULAR. DAN. IN IND. OCC./ IN CIVITATEM RECEPTI PATRI PATRIE ERATI FAC. CVR.]. The artist mark [F. KROHN K] is printed in relief text on the underside of the neck of the bust. The reverse of the medal is edged with double concentric circles. A relief depiction of Dania as Justice holding a staff in her proper right hand and scales in her proper left hand. She is draped in a traditional toga and is standing astride a sleeping lion. She rests her proper right foot on a shield emblazoned with a cross. Relief text printed on either side of the figure reads [ÆQUITAS] on the left and [AUGUSTI] on the right. Printed below the figure is the date [XVIII APR. MDCCCXXXIV].
place: label: Place used
content: Virgin Islands of the United States, United States, North and Central America
label: Place made
content: Denmark, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Antislavery
label: Topic
content: Civil Rights
label: Topic
content: Colonialism
label: Topic
content: Dutch colonialism
label: Topic
content: Free communities of color
label: Topic
content: Freedom
label: Topic
content: International affairs
label: Topic
content: Ornamentation
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Awards, Medals, and Insignia
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of David K. Hayes
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2018.112.1
objectType: label: Type
content: medals
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silver
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D: 2 7/16 × 2 7/16 × 1/4 in. (6.2 × 6.2 × 0.7 cm)