<I>Army of the James Medal</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1864
name: label: Created by
content: United States Mint, American, founded 1792
label: Commissioned by
content: Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler, American, 1818 - 1893
label: Designed by
content: Anthony C. Paquet, German, 1814 - 1882
notes: label: Caption
content: After the battle of New Market Heights, Gen. Benjamin F. Butler commissioned a medal of honor to be awarded to African American soldiers for bravery. Officially known as Army of the James Medals, these are the only U.S. medals designed specifically for African American troops.
label: Description
content: The medal was designed by Anthony C. Paquet, whose name is inscribed on the obverse, and realized in silver by the United States Mint in Philadelphia. The medal consists of a silver medallion suspended from a silver ring fixed to a silver eagle-claw-covered ball and loop, through which a red, white and blue stripped grosgrain ribbon (most likely silk) was treaded, in turn suspended from an oak-leaf-decorated silver pin.
label: Description
content: The obverse of the medallion depicts a bastion fort being charged upon by a pair of musket-bearing African-American soldiers. The Latin inscription “FERRO IIS LIBERTAS PERVENIET” (freedom will be theirs by the sword) is in raised letters on a banner around the upper part of the medallion, and “US COLORED TROOPS” is in raised letters below the image. The reverse is decorated with an oak leaf wreath tied with a bow at bottom center, raised lettering reading “DISTINGUISHED FOR COURAGE” around the perimeter, and raised lettering reading “CAMPAIGN FOR RICHMOND 1864” in the middle. “ARMY OF THE JAMES” is inscribed in raised letters on the pin.
title: label: Title
content: Butler medal
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
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 the Family of Irving and Estelle Liss
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2012.37ab
objectType: label: Type
content: medallions (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 and silk (textile)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 5 1/2 x 1 5/8 in. (14 x 4.1 cm)