Commemorative, Historical and Art Medals

United States of America, Centenary of the Insurrection led by Andrew Kosciusko, 1894, an aluminium medal, unsigned, bust in central medallion, legends in and around wreath, rev. bilingual legends, American eagle and two globes, 38mm. Pierced, otherwise very fine to extremely fine £80-100

Provenance: G. Brunk Collection; Rich Hartzog Mailbid Sale, 7 November, 2006 (2333); E. Roehrs Collection.

General Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciusko [Tadeuszowi Kosciuszce/Kosciuszku] (1746-1817), Polish general who fought in the American War of Independence. He famously used his American back-pay to secure the freedom of a number of slaves. In his will his Ohio lands were to be sold to secure freedom for slaves; likewise in Poland he had freed the serfs on his lands