Sealed Bronze Medal 1976 USA Washington Seat of Boston Comitia Américana Independence 1776. The Comitia Americana (Latin for “American Congress”) medals originally consisted of 11 medals celebrating the heroism of George Washington, John Eager Howard, William Washington, Anthony Wayne, John Stewart, Daniel Morgan, John Paul Jones, Horatio Gates, François-Louis Teissèdre de Fleury, Henry Lee, and Nathanael Greene. Each medal was meant to commemorate and celebrate particular military victories and the champions who led them—everything from the Siege of Boston in 1776 (George Washington) to the battle between the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis in 1779 (John Paul Jones). Artistically, the medal engravings range from portraiture and classical iconography to panoramic battle scenes complete with ship sails billowing in the wind. Almost every medal depicts a moment of the American Revolutionary War that changed the course of the colonies’ futures. The series was created between 1776 and the early 19th century almost exclusively by French artists and artisans at the commission of the United States. The name of the series, Latin for American Congress, denotes that these medals were created after Continental Congressional votes to memorialize the heroism, friendship, and leadership of key American and French revolutionaries. Each medal was struck either at the Paris Mint or the United States Mint in Philadelphia. The Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection currently holds 119 of these medals and 10 commemorative reproductions dating to the 20th century.