Major Gen Andrew Jackson 50 Cent Coin Medal?
mortician1990
Posts: 25 ✭✭
in Q & A Forum
Hello,
My father has come across this coin which was apparently given to my third great-grandfather. I was just wondering if anyone knew the history of these coins, and perhaps what the date of March 20th 1825 may signify.
Thank you,
Erich
1
Comments
Around the perimeter it reads "This is the Eagle of your Country, wear it near your heart & support its rights." The center reads "Presented by Major General Andrew Jackson to Henry V. Giesey March 20th 1825."
Interesting love token. Do you have any personal family documents that shed light on the life of Henry V. Giesey? Was he in the military or in government service?
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I will need to inquire some more. I know my father has a record of someone's service who was a major I think during the early 1800s. I believe it was Henry's father (Valentine Giesey). The V. stands for Valentine as well. I had some research and used ancestry.com; however, I can't really see much without paying for it again. What is interesting is it has Henry V. Giesey being born in 1820, so he would only be 5 years old which is a bit odd. Valentine, his father, was born in 1785 so he would have been relatively old for the time period to be serving in the early 1800's. I will do some more research. It would be odd for this to presented to the son of a soldier which served under Andrew Jackson. I almost wonder if perhaps this could be a promotional token for supporting the presidential aspirations of Jackson in 1825?
My father sent me a payroll from January 1815 with of a company led by Captain Valentine Giesey. So I suppose Valentine the father of Henry V. Giesey served under Andrew Jackson to some degree. My complete guess thus far is perhaps this is some sort of token given/purchased in support of Andrew Jackson in 1825. One thing that doesn't really make sense for that idea is that I would anticipate that to be a general token of appreciation, but this coin has a specific date.
there is a record of Valentine Giesey having served in the war of 1812. Perhaps he served under Andrew Jackson and Jackson gave his son this coin in 1825 as a momento of his dad's prior service. This is just a guess on my part. Jackson was also involved in the Seminole war in Florida in 1817-1818. There apparently is more information on Valentine Giesey on ancestry.com if you want to pay for it.
Could the date be the retirement from the military of the recipient?
@mortician1990 Very interesting family connections. I think sentimentality and patriotism can well be addressed by the gifting of this type of item. Given the wording, I think it's a gift to an adult. It was treasured, which is why it's still in your family. IMO. Consider protecting it in a Quickslab, which would include insert labels on both sides. Have a good day. Peace Roy
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Either way, more research is warranted. If it can be attributed and authenticated it would be an very historical (and valuable) piece.
I'm not sure how I would be able to find this out. I may be able to request the information, otherwise I would need to go to the national archives?
Is there any sort of historian I should reach out to specifically? I think I will email a local history professor and see if they can point me in a good direction.
There are some very sharp people here on the forum, post it on the main US Coin forum for more replies & help.
https://forums.collectors.com/categories/u-s-coin-forum
Yes, do this.
Thanks for the suggestion! Just posted it on there.