History of the Atlantic Cable & Undersea Communications
from the first submarine cable of 1850 to the worldwide fiber optic network

Cyrus Field's Congressional Medal

From: Medals of the U.S. Mint, the first century, 1792-1892, by R.W. Julian.

The Field medal is singular in nature because it was awarded twice, something a little out of the ordinary for Congressional medals.  Perhaps the intrepid Field, for all the troubles he had gone through from the elements and business rivals, deserved more than one medal.

After the Congressional resolution of March 2, 1867, matters were to move rather quickly.  Joseph Goldsborough Bruff of the Treasury Department, who prepared the original design, finished it by late July and within a few days it was on the way to the mint.  (He was Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department at that time.)

Although Bruff produced a fairly detailed drawing for his design, William Barber, then an assistant engraver, asked for a sitting with Field in New York so that the likeness might be as perfect as possible.  In September, 1867, Barber went to New York and carefully sketched Field.  Barber returned quickly to the mint and began work on the proper models.

After Barber's return matters moved with due artistic speed - that is to say, slow.  The models were reduced on the newly-arrive Hill Engraving Machine, which had just been purchased from an English firm.  This was appropriate, as Field's cable linked Great Britain and the United States.

The dies were finished by late in April, 1868, and the first gold medal struck about two weeks later, after all the lengthy preparations had been made.   There was some delay also with respect to a proper case.  On May 15th, 1868, the gold medal was sent to the Treasury and received the next day by Treasury Secretary Hugh McCulloch.

J.J. Knox, the Comptroller of the Treasury and a numismatist in his own right, wrote the mint officials that "a slight defect on the knuckle of the forefinger of the hand holding the wreath" had been found and needed correction.   For some unknown reason the medal was then put in an obscure Treasury Department safe and forgotten.

By late in 1868 Field had begun to wonder where his medal was and said as much to those in a position to find out the reason for the delay.  The Treasury officials could not find the first medal and ordered another one struck.   This was sent to Washington on December 17th, 1868, and duly presented to Field.   The first gold medal seemed to have vanished.

Suddenly, in late March or early April, 1874, someone found the first gold medal and sent it to Philadelphia for melting.  Field received news of his first medal being found, probably through the newspapers, and asked to have it also.   After a jeweler tested the first piece to make sure it was pure gold, Field paid the government its gold value and received the first gold medal.  The value of the fine gold in the first one was $553.90 (26.79 ounces).

The Field medal went on public sale about 1869 or 1870.  A number of aluminum medals were struck in November, 1868, possibly in part for Field himself.

Obverse: Hand issuing from clouds about to place a laurel wreath on the head of Cyrus Field (to left) itself on a base of clouds. HONOR AND FAME ARE THE REWARD above a scene of ships sailing from two partial globes labelled AMERICA and EUROPE; the two continents are further connected by a chain at the bottom.  Exergual legend INDOMITABLE PERSEVERANCE AND ENDURING FAITH ACHIEVED THE SUCCESS.  In small letters towards bottom J.G. BRUFF.D. and BARBER F.  The whole is surrounded by a border in the form of a cable.	Reverse: Ornate border, American shield, thirty-one stars in the form of a star, branches, and a globe labelled EUROPE and AMERICA within and around the legend BY RESOLUTION OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES above inscription MARCH 2, 1867, TO CYRUS W. FIELD OF NEW YORK FOR HIS FORESIGHT, FAITH AND PERSISTENCY IN ESTABLISHING TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION BY MEANS OF THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CONNECTING THE OLD WITH THE NEW WORLD. Size 103 mm Engraver William Barber
The images are from the bronze replica (Mint #625), issued by the United States Mint, of the gold medal awarded in 1868 to Cyrus Field. The original medal was 103mm in diameter; the replica is 76mm. Thanks to Rich Hartzog of World Exonumia for supplying the historical information on the medal. Click here to see Rich's interesting exonumia website.

The text of the Congressional Resolution:

Saturday, 2 March 1867

A Resolution presenting the Thanks of Congress to Cyrus W. Field.

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the thanks of Congress be, and they hereby are, presented to Cyrus W. Field, of New York, for his foresight, courage, and determination in establishing telegraphic communication by means of the Atlantic cable, traversing mid-ocean and connecting the Old World with the New; and that the President of the United States be requested to cause a gold medal to be struck, with suitable emblems, devices, and inscription, to be presented to Mr. Field.

SEC. 2. And be it further resolved, That when the medal shall have been struck, the President shall cause a copy of this joint resolution to be engrossed on parchment, and shall transmit the same, together with the medal, to Mr. Field, to be presented to him in the name of the people of the United States of America.

SEC. 3. And be it further resolved, That a sufficient sum of money to carry this resolution into effect is hereby appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

14 Stat. 574

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