Underground Railroad Coin??

against the wind

Gold Member
Jul 27, 2015
24,797
24,979
Port Allegheny, Pennsylvania
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
E-trac, Excalibur, XP Deus, & CTX 3030.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I recovered this coin in October of 2015. I hesitated to post it because I thought it may offend someone. I have checked numerous sites to try to find something similar but to no avail. On both sides of this coin are persons with features of someone of African descent.
I don't see any lettering or numbers on the coin. It is non - magnetic and I suspect that it may be of a bronze composition.
Has anyone ever recovered anything like this??
IMG_3028.JPGIMG_3029.JPGIMG_3027.JPG
 

interesting. it looks like if you stood it on edge and spun it, it would make an optical illusion of the two kissing
 

Upvote 0
interesting. it looks like if you stood it on edge and spun it, it would make an optical illusion of the two kissing
That's great,, I would have never thought of that. I have it in a coin folder right now but when I get the chance, I will certainly give it a spin,, thanks
 

Upvote 0
nice finds
 

Upvote 0
You lucky rascal! That item certainly is unique.

Oh yeah, I am offended... that I haven't found one!

Best of luck to you brother!
 

Upvote 0
I hesitated to post it because I thought it may offend someone.

I understand your hesitation, but I'm a little dismayed. Plenty of history is offensive when paralleled with today’s mores and ethos. That doesn’t mean we shouldn't know about it and understand it in its historical context.

If you were making and selling these coins today, THAT would be offensive. But posting it here for edification should not bother anyone.

In the future, please don't hesitate to post relics and artifacts.

DCMatt
 

Upvote 0
I understand your hesitation, but I'm a little dismayed. Plenty of history is offensive when paralleled with today’s mores and ethos. That doesn’t mean we shouldn't know about it and understand it in its historical context.

If you were making and selling these coins today, THAT would be offensive. But posting it here for edification should not bother anyone.

In the future, please don't hesitate to post relics and artifacts.

DCMatt

Speaking about history and ethnics.... I found this "thing" many years ago, and some years later I did ID it. The person with the funny hat, is actually the statue that sits on top of the US Capitol dome in DC.

The original designer who was contracted to do the statue; his first proposal was a freed African. "some people" decided that was not what they wanted, so it was redone as an early native American.

The item I found is a Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was handed out in person by the President, as the highest honor to a "civilian" in times of National importance.

History from things we find.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1274.jpg
    DSCN1274.jpg
    26.4 KB · Views: 93
  • DSCN1272.jpg
    DSCN1272.jpg
    32.1 KB · Views: 89
  • MVC-023L.jpg
    MVC-023L.jpg
    36.4 KB · Views: 91
Upvote 0
Speaking about history and ethnics.... I found this "thing" many years ago, and some years later I did ID it. The person with the funny hat, is actually the statue that sits on top of the US Capitol dome in DC.

The original designer who was contracted to do the statue; his first proposal was a freed African. "some people" decided that was not what they wanted, so it was redone as an early native American.

The item I found is a Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was handed out in person by the President, as the highest honor to a "civilian" in times of National importance.

History from things we find.

Cool find! Thx for posting. Please allow me to provide a little more info on the statue...

It is a female figure. In the original design she wore a "Liberty cap or Phrygian cap" - worn in Roman times by emancipated slaves as a symbol of their freedom. The government official in charge of the construction of the capitol building objected saying "its history renders it inappropriate to a people who were born free and should not be enslaved. (in other words white Americans)". So the sculptor changed the design to add a Roman style helmet with "a bold arrangement of feathers, suggested by the costume of our Indian tribes."

Who was that man in charge? Jefferson Davis. And we all know what he we on to become...

DCMatt
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0
Cool find! Thx for posting. Please allow me to provide a little more info on the statue...

It is a female figure. In the original design she wore a "Liberty cap or Phrygian cap" - worn in Roman times by emancipated slaves as a symbol of their freedom. The government official in charge of the construction of the capitol building objected saying "its history renders it inappropriate to a people who were born free and should not be enslaved. (in other words white Americans)". So the sculptor changed the design to add a Roman style helmet with "a bold arrangement of feathers, suggested by the costume of our Indian tribes."

Who was that man in charge? Jefferson Davis. And we all know what he we on to become...

DCMatt


Thanks for the extra info, My description was from memory over 15 years ago LOL. Boy I had a tough time trying to ID it, even posting it on a then-popular MD site. I thought it was a token coin because the loop was not there, and thought it may be some fraternal group item. I did find an obscure group that once had a local chapter that used "freedom" and two other words in it's motto.....but 5 years later, spotted it online on a medals site.

A late good web friend that was great at websites, found a site with all recipients of this honor, by State and full names. I never found a local family with any last name listed.
 

Upvote 0

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top