“Highly prized…” – Medal of Honor Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin

Today, the Medal of Honor Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin remembers the act of Congress of July 12, 1862 that authorized the Army’s Medal of Honor program.

From Uncle Sam’s Medal of Honor, Some of the Noble Deeds for which the Medal Has Been Awarded, Described by Those who Have Won It, 1861-1866, edited by Theophilus Francis Rodenbough and published in 1886:

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The Medal of Honor for the army was first established as a reward for military service by a law approved July 12, 1862, as follows:

“Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the President of the United States be and he is hereby authorized to cause 2000 ‘medals of honor’ to be prepared, with suitable emblematic devices, and to direct that the same be presented in the name of Congress to such non-commissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and their soldier-like qualities during the present insurrection.”

This was followed by an act (March 3, 1863) to the ” effect that the President cause to be struck from the dies recently prepared at the United States Mint for that purpose ‘Medals of Honor’ additional to those authorized by the act of July 12, 1862, and present the same to such officers, non-commissioned officers and privates as have most distinguished or may hereafter most distinguish themselves in action; and the sum of $20,000 is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the same.”

The medal is described as “a five-pointed star, tipped with trefoil, each point containing a crown of laurel and oak; in the middle, within a circle of thirty-four stars, America, personified as Minerva, stands with her left hand resting on the fasces, while with her right, in which she holds a shield emblazoned with the American arms, she repulses Discord, represented by two snakes in each hand; the whole suspended by a trophy of two crossed cannons, balls and a sword surmounted by the American eagle, which is united by a ribbon of thirteen stripes, palewise, gules and argent and a chief azure, to a clasp composed of two cornucopias and the American arms.”

General E. D. Townsend (late Adjutant-General of the Army) says:

“As soon as news of the Civil War in the United States became known in Europe, many persons who had been officers in foreign armies came to offer their services to the Government.

“It frequently happened that these gentlemen brought letters of introduction and testimonials of their military career. Sometimes they came accredited to our Department of State.

“They usually paid their respects to General Scott, and not infrequently, on such an occasion, wore their uniform, with all their decorations — medals or orders.

“There were many men in our volunteer service who had served abroad, and it was quite the habit among them to display on their uniforms such marks of distinction if they possessed them.

“It is no wonder if they were objects of envy to many of our young aspirants for military glory.

“The experience of the Mexican War, when the honor of a brevet was so often persistently sought for through political influence, sometimes without any special military merit to sustain it, early suggested to me the probability that the same evil, in magnified form, would arise during the Civil War.

“It was very desirable, therefore, if possible, to prevent what afterward actually happened, the destruction of the practical benefit arising from the brevet system.

“Instead of tardy and sometimes indiscriminate recommendations for brevets, why should not our generals, when in command of armies in time of war, be clothed with the power of rewarding distinguished acts of bravery, on the instant, by issuing orders conferring a medal for them, such orders to be as soon as possible confirmed and executed by the War Department?

“Mistakes would rarely, if ever, be made; and the excellent effect of a prompt recognition of gallantry in battle is no new thing in history.

“Impressed with these ideas, I, early in 1861, urged their adoption upon General Scott, and upon the chairman of the Senate Military Committee, the Secretary of War, and others in influence.

“They objected that it was contrary to the spirit of our institutions to wear decorations, and therefore the measure would not be popular.

“I instanced the pride which children feel in wearing medals won at schools, and the pains taken by parents to foster it; and suggested that, if those who won medals did not choose to wear them, they would none the less value them, and so would their descendants after them.

“Nothing was done in that direction, however, until the 12th of July, 1862, when Congress passed a resolution to award medals of honor to enlisted men, which, by the act of March 3, 1863, was extended to officers also.

“These medals, although intrinsically of but little value, have been eagerly sought for and highly prized.

“The main objection to them is the mode of conferring, under which years have sometimes elapsed before sufficiently reliable testimony could be obtained that the claimant was justly entitled to one, according to the terms of the law.”

In Gen. Townsend’s annual report, 1864, the matter was presented to the notice of the Secretary of War, and of Congress, in these words:

“The Medal of Honor is of bronze, of neat device, and is highly prized by those on whom it has been bestowed.

“Hitherto no medals have been conferred upon commissioned officers, apparently under the idea that at some future day their acts of distinguished bravery would be recognized by brevets.

“It is believed that, in the majority of cases, the award of a gold or silver medal would be quite as acceptable as the brevet, and of more substantial value, especially in the volunteer service. … If any act were passed to authorize it, a prompt and gratifying acknowledgment of distinguished services could be made, by publishing a general order awarding to the officer ‘the gold medal’ or the ‘silver medal,’ with the privilege of engraving thereon the name and date of the battle in which his gallantry was conspicuous.

“In case of his again winning distinction, he would be authorized in general orders to add to the inscription upon his medal the name and date of his new exploit.

“If both gold and silver medals were authorized, there would be no objection to the same officer being the recipient of both, if won by meritorious conduct at different times, and different in degree.

“The system of medals need in no wise interfere with the conferring of brevet rank in cases where such rank might be actually exercised in high commands, or at the discretion of the President; but it would relieve the pressure for brevets on the part of the many officers who justly believe they have won a title to some mark of honor, and would avoid the many vexed questions likely to arise from the possession of brevet rank by so large a number of officers as reasonably prefer a claim to reward.”

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The Medal of Honor Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin shows with an image, circa 1865, of a medal of honor bestowed upon Private Wilbur F. Moore of Co. C, 117th Illinois Infantry.

Medal of Honor Commemorative Silver Dollar Coin