General Nathaniel Greene Comitia Americana
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These were produced by the US Mint in the 1970's. While they are not as nice as the originals, they are pretty nice and a lot less expensive.
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General Nathaniel Greene Comitia Americana
General Nathaniel Greene is honored on the ninth in the US. Mint’s ten-piece series-of pewter reproductions of America’s First Medals, voted by the Continental Congress to commemorate the decisive military actions of the Revolutionary War. This medal was awarded to General Greene for the Battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, in 1781. It was engraved by Augustin Dupre, later Engraver General of Coins at the French Mint, and was originally struck in gold.
The obverse features a bust of General Greene, facing left, and a Latin inscription: “The American Congress to Nathaniel Greene, a distinguished general.”
On the reverse, a winged Victory holds a crown of laurel in her right hand and a palm branch in her left, while one foot rests on a trophy of arms and flags.
Above is an inscription in Latin: “The safety of the southern regions.” And below: “The enemy vanquished at Eutaw on the 8th of September, 1781.”
Battle of Eutaw Springs Ends the Southern Campaign
Eutaw Springs was the last important engagement in the southern theater. It was the last of a series of battles which were tactical losses for the Americans but which, in the long run, enabled them to win the southern campaign. When General Greene took command of the southern forces in late 1780, the army was so small that he had to avoid direct confrontation with the British. He started a program of partisan warfare harassing the enemy, breaking up communications and intercepting supplies. Immediately after his victory at the Cowpens in January 1781, General Daniel Morgan rejoined Greene and the American Army retreated northward. The British General Cornwallis, determined that the “impudent” Greene should not escape, stripped his own army of everything not essential and marched swiftly in pursuit. Greene stayed just ahead of him, encouraging guerillas to harass the British rear and disrupt supply lines. He barely won the race for Virginia, crossing the swollen Dan River a few hours ahead of his pursuers.
Cornwallis withdrew to rebuild his depleted army while Greene awaited reinforcements before turning to advance on the British. At Guilford Courthouse, on March 15, the armies collided. The British won this battle, but Cornwallis was so badly shattered that he moved his army to Wilmington, on the North Carolina coast, where the British Navy could support and supply it. Greene returned to South Carolina to engage in a series of operations culminating at Eutaw Springs in the last pitched battle of the war. The tireless marches Greene planned and directed so exhausted the enemy that they withdrew from’the interior of South Carolina and remained bottled up at Charleston and at Savannah until the end of the war.
This article is also published on CoinShows.us and may be a little easier to view.
General Nathaniel Greene Comitia Americana
General Nathaniel Greene is honored on the ninth in the US. Mint’s ten-piece series-of pewter reproductions of America’s First Medals, voted by the Continental Congress to commemorate the decisive military actions of the Revolutionary War. This medal was awarded to General Greene for the Battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, in 1781. It was engraved by Augustin Dupre, later Engraver General of Coins at the French Mint, and was originally struck in gold.
The obverse features a bust of General Greene, facing left, and a Latin inscription: “The American Congress to Nathaniel Greene, a distinguished general.”
On the reverse, a winged Victory holds a crown of laurel in her right hand and a palm branch in her left, while one foot rests on a trophy of arms and flags.
Above is an inscription in Latin: “The safety of the southern regions.” And below: “The enemy vanquished at Eutaw on the 8th of September, 1781.”
Battle of Eutaw Springs Ends the Southern Campaign
Eutaw Springs was the last important engagement in the southern theater. It was the last of a series of battles which were tactical losses for the Americans but which, in the long run, enabled them to win the southern campaign. When General Greene took command of the southern forces in late 1780, the army was so small that he had to avoid direct confrontation with the British. He started a program of partisan warfare harassing the enemy, breaking up communications and intercepting supplies. Immediately after his victory at the Cowpens in January 1781, General Daniel Morgan rejoined Greene and the American Army retreated northward. The British General Cornwallis, determined that the “impudent” Greene should not escape, stripped his own army of everything not essential and marched swiftly in pursuit. Greene stayed just ahead of him, encouraging guerillas to harass the British rear and disrupt supply lines. He barely won the race for Virginia, crossing the swollen Dan River a few hours ahead of his pursuers.
Cornwallis withdrew to rebuild his depleted army while Greene awaited reinforcements before turning to advance on the British. At Guilford Courthouse, on March 15, the armies collided. The British won this battle, but Cornwallis was so badly shattered that he moved his army to Wilmington, on the North Carolina coast, where the British Navy could support and supply it. Greene returned to South Carolina to engage in a series of operations culminating at Eutaw Springs in the last pitched battle of the war. The tireless marches Greene planned and directed so exhausted the enemy that they withdrew from’the interior of South Carolina and remained bottled up at Charleston and at Savannah until the end of the war.
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This is the rare mule variety that has Henry Lee on the obverse instead of Nathaniel Greene. The Nathaniel Greene obverse die cracked so they used the Henry Lee instead.
Neat series, though. I got several of them back in the 70s, and they're still around somewhere.
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
This is the rare mule variety that has Henry Lee on the obverse instead of Nathaniel Greene. The Nathaniel Greene obverse die cracked so they used the Hnery Lee instead.
oops.... I fixed it.
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Adams and Bentley infer that an impression was made from the original die pair at the mint around 1840. That impression showed that the dies were rusted, sinking and generally in poor condition.
The U.S. Mint at Philadelphia did not make another set of dies for the Greene medal until 1886. The records show that only 40 pieces were made from that die pair before the U.S. Mint switched over the matte finish medals that now the standard issue for the mint. Those 40 pieces represent the only source for the Greene medals that most collectors can hope to obtain in the "old," "chocolate brown," bronzed format. Here is an example of one of those medals.
I caution collectors not to get burned with the purchase of a more modern medal that may have been darkened to make it look old. The "good" medals have a Proof-Like mint surface that is reflective under the bronzing. Here is an example of a medal that has been fooled with to make it look old.
This is the rare mule variety that has Henry Lee on the obverse instead of Nathaniel Greene. The Nathaniel Greene obverse die cracked so they used the Hnery Lee instead.
Ahh, no.
The Henry Lee medal is far different. Joseph Wright cut the dies for the Henry Lee medal here in The United States. The Lee medal was overlooked in the ordering process in Paris, and embarrassed American officials had to scramble to make a medal for Lee. Both the oberse and reverse dies broke, and it is not known if Lee received a medal or not.
Here is an example of the Lee medal. It was made in the 1880s from the original Wright medal obverse die, which is broken, and a new reverse. This piece is quite scarce. The mintage was very low, probably no more than 40 or so pieces.
I caution collectors not to get burned with the purchase of a more modern medal that may have been darkened to make it look old. The "good" medals have a Proof-Like mint surface that is reflective under the bronzing. Here is an example of a medal that has been fooled with to make it look old.
Actually, I don't believe that this piece was messed with at all. I have plenty examples with this type of surface finish, likely from around the 1930s, from what I can tell. There are some other signs that point to this piece being from around that era as well.
Many people don't realize that there are many different types of surface finishes within the transition from the "chocolate brown" bronzed copper to the sand-blasted and acid etched (they actually do this!) finishes today. Many times, the same dies that were used to strike the bronzed copper examples were also used to strike early sand-blasted ones.
The 1975-6 Comitia Americana pewter medal set (from which the Greene medal, which started this thread) was one of the best things the mint issued during the Bicentennial. The best part of it was the book by Vladimir and Elvira Clain-Stefanelli which contained a lot of useful information about the series. The last I knew the set is still available from dealers, when you can find if, for $30 or so. That is about half of the issue price.
I have one of these sets, was and still am surprised that they are so inexpensive.
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--Severian the Lame
are greatly appreciated. Cheers, RickO