Army of the James Medal

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

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. 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.

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