Medals Depicting Civil War Figures
Major General John C. Freemont Medal
DeWitt JF 1864-1, silver, 39.8mm
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(Image courtesy Stacks Bowers)
DeWitt JF 1864-1, copper, 39.8mm
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DeWitt JF 1864-1, brass, 39.8mm
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DeWitt JF 1864-1, white metal, 39.8mm
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DeWitt JF 1864-1, nickel, 39.8mm
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(image courtesy of Stacks Bowers)
This medal was issued by Alfred S. Robinson; 25 copies were
struck in copper and brass, an unknown quantity in silver and
white metal. The nickel variety is not listed.
Major General Jesse L. Reno Medal
Copper alloy (99.36% copper, .38% platinum, .12% zinc), 34.3mm
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John Brown Medalet
Obverse - Inscription around SLAVERY THE SUM OF ALL VILLANIES with a
semicircle of nineteen stars, below MARCHING ALONG with fifteen dots, within
a beaded circle at center a bust of John Brown to quarter right,
JOHN to left, BROWN to right.
Reverse - Inscription around RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY IS OBEDIENCE
TO GOD 1859, a circle enclosing a figure hanging from a scaffold and inscription
JOHN BROWN, around scaffold GIVE ME / LIBERTY / OR GIVE ME / DEATH.
DeWitt SL 1859-1, silver, 32mm
IMAGE NEEDED
DeWitt SL 1859-1, copper, 32mm
IMAGE NEEDEDDeWitt SL 1859-1, brass, 32mm
IMAGE NEEDED DeWitt SL-1, white metal, 31.2mm
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Although not signed nor attributed to George H. Lovett by DeWitt
I have often thought this looked like it could be his work, and other
numismatist have agreed. I am going to list this as a possible
work of his because of the article by Ernie Nagy in the November-
December 2022 edition of the TAMS Journal
Major General W.T. Sherman Medalets
First obverse, 24 pointed star reverse, silver, 31mm
IMAGE NEEDED
First obverse, 24 pointed star reverse, copper, 31.2mm
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First obverse, 24 pointed star reverse, brass, 31mm
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First obverse, 24 pointed star reverse, silvered white metal, 31mm
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| This piece is listed in "Identification Discs of Union Soldiers in The Civil War" as 17B; only white metal and brass pieces are listed. In their survey of disc they do not list any engraved ones with these dies and the empty space does not seem large enough to include much information. I have my doubts as to whether these actually were used as identification discs. |
| This reverse die with the 24 pointed star seemed to have been a stock die that he would pull out to use whenever he needed to. Below are several examples as well as the St. Johns Church medal on the "Church Tokens and Medals page. |
"In Memory of Abraham Lincoln" Medal
White metal, 31.1mm
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| This obverse is also found with a Lincoln Political medalet obverse, DeWitt AL 1860-34, that was the work of George H's brother John Doubleday. Because of other mulings it is likely George H obtained and used this die providing further evidence that this is the work of George H. Lovett. |
Lockwood Sewing School Medal
NY-Au 11, hite metal, 31mm
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First obverse, cavalry symbols reverse, silver, 31.1mm
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| Note the raised bump at 12 o'clock on the reverse indicating where the hole was to be punched. These must have been struck intending to be holed and worn. Were the silver examples meant to be worn or just struck for collectors. This is the first and only I have seen. |
First obverse, corps badges reverse, white metal, 31.2mm
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| An example of this medal suspended from an eagle clasp is in the collection of the Oskosh Public Museum. The description on their website reads "Army of Georgia Veteran's pin: Silver plated tin eagle with spread wings; a wire ring at bottom suspends a stamped circular medallion with raised portrait of "MAJ. GEN. W. T. SHERMAN" on obverse and raised images of acorn (14th Army Corps), 5-point star (20th Army Corps), Cartridge box in diamond (15th Army Corps), and arrow (16th Army Corps) on reverse. These four Army Corps were part of Sherman's Army of Georgia that marched with him from Atlanta to Savannah on the Atlantic coast and through the Carolinas. These pins can be seen being worn on the left breast of Sherman's veterans at the end of the Civil War. (http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit3/e30202b.htm) |
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Second obverse, corps badges reverse, copper, 31.24mm
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| This obverse is very similar in style to the Major General H.G. Berry piece below. Was George H. attempting a series of famous Civil War generals? |
Second obverse, corps badges reverse, aluminum, 31.2mm
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| Until the mid 1880's aluminum was considered a rare metal and was sometimes worth more than gold so it had not been used on tokens such as these. This must have been struck sometime after that by George H. or someone using his dies. |
Lieutenant General U.S. Grant Medal
DeWitt USG 1868-9, copper, 31.1mm
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DeWitt USG 1868-9, brass, 32mm
IMAGE NEEDED
DeWitt USG 1868-9, white metal, 32mm
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(image courtesy of Bruce Thomas)
Major General W.S. Hancock Medals
"The Grand Reception" reverse, copper, 31.2mm
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Medallion reverse, white metal, 31.1mm
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I have attributed these two medals to George H. because of
the Grand Reception reverse that is found with a Grant obverse
that is also his work.
Major General H.G. Berry Medal
Silver, 28mm
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Copper, 28mm
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Brass, 28mm
IMAGE NEEDED
White metal, 28mm
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Major General H.G. Berry / Bolen's Liberty Cap Mule
Silver, 27.6mm
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(image courtesy of Stack's Bowers)
| The description in the January 2011 Americana Sale called this piece unique but the second piece below I was able to examine in the collection of Neil Mussante at the March 2013 Whitman Expo. I know of no other mulings or examples of this muling in any other metals. |
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Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside Medal
Storer 39, white metal, 40mm
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McPherson - Society of the Army of The Tennessee Medalets
These small medalets seem to have quite
an identity crisis! They are listed in Julian's "Medals of the United
States Mint" as having been struck at the Mint in bronze, with white
metal ones struck outside the Mint, but apparently Julian had never seen
any examples. It list the engraver as unknown but it is obvious by the
initials it was George H.. He quotes a fiscal report for 1876 showing
'GAR Stars and Eagles' were struck but no stars or eagle are found in
the design.
Rulau in his "Standard Catalog" list copper, white metal,
brass, and silver pieces in the Trade Token section then repeats Julian
by saying the copper examples were struck at the mint with the white
metal pieces struck by George H.; where did the brass and silver pieces
come from? I think these were struck by George H. as something to sell to members of the Society at the dedication of the statue, with the open space on the reverse for individuals to have inscribed ( although I have seen none with any inscription). I have seen nothing to indicate they were commissioned by the Society or simply something George H. decided to produce.
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DC-WA 27, white metal, 21mm
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DC-WA 27A, copper, 21mm
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DC-WA 27B, brass, 21mm
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DC-WA 27C, silver, 21mm
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McPherson Statue, Washington D.C.
Major
General James McPherson succeeded Major General Sherman as third
commander of the Army of the Tennessee in March of 1864. He was killed
on July 22, 1864 during the Battle of Atlanta.
In April, 1865, the Society of the Army of the Tennessee was formed at
Raleigh, North Carolina, membership being restricted to officers who
had served with the old Army of the Tennessee. The object was declared
to be " to keep alive that kindly and cordial feeling which has been
one of the characteristics of this army during its career in the
service." General Sherman was elected president in 1869, and continued
to hold the office for many years.
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McPherson / Pater Patriae mule
Musante GW-341, copper, 21mm
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(image courtesy of Ernie Latter)
Musante GW-341, brass, 20.9mm
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of the 1864 date on the McPherson die. Neil Musante in "Medallic Washington"
only list a brass version and he states that "The McPherson die was used
to mark the death of General James McPherson on July 22, 1864"
which I think is incorrect. These mulings are very scarce, probably 5 or less of each,
while the combination with Society Army of the Tennessee die is much
more numerous indicating that was probably the original pairing.
McPherson /1868 Grant Mule
Brass, 21mm
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Copper, 21mm
IMAGE NEEDED
Army of the Tennessee / 1868 Grant Mule
A2060, copper, 21mm
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(image courtesy of Erica Schlather)
| I first became aware of this muling in Nov. 2013 when it appeared in Ron Abler's IBook "A Centennial Cabinet". The designation above is from this reference. |
A2060, brass, 21mm
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(image courtesy of Ty Gemberling)
McPherson / Grant with Scroll Mule
Brass, 21mm
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Copper, 21mm
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| The two Grant dies appear to be the
same with the scroll replacing the date on the latter. The 1868 Grant
die was also used with the Parmelee, Webster & Co token; The die
with scroll is found with the Civis Edinburgensis, Civis Londiniensis, and Graduated at West Point
dies. I am not aware of any mulings of this reverse die with the Army of Tennessee die. |