Pro Patria

The Spanish-American War of 1898 was the occasion for the creation of numerous tokens and medals, many of which have never been cataloged. For that reason, it is a fertile, and in my opinion, greatly overlooked area for collectors and researchers. 

Patriotic Piece 

One of the more intriguing medals of this era was the subject of an article titled “French Medal on the Spanish-American War,” published in the July 1903 issue of the American Journal of Numismatics (AJN). A soldier and a sailor are featured on the obverse, with a winged figure blowing a horn (which I assume is Nike, the goddess of victory) above. A large scroll is to the right, with MANILLA/PORTO-RICO/SANTIAGO 14TH JULY/1898 on it. TO THE GLORY OF THE U.S.A. is around the rim at the top, and A. DUSEAUX PARIS is at the bottom in tiny letters.

On the reverse of the 46mm medal, a woman sits in the center, holding a flag on a banner in her left hand. PRO PATRIA (for one’s country) is around the rim at the top. In the background to the left are marching troops, and a sailing ship is at the right. A cannon is near her feet on the left, and an eagle, with ESPAÑA below, is at the left. FRENCH TRADING CO. N.Y. appears at the bottom in small letters.

Crowded Fields

The AJN article, which unfortunately is not illustrated, describes the medal as silvered copper and having a “planchet ring and bars united with a ribbon of red, white and blue.” In Malcolm Storer’s listing of Spanish-American War medals, published in the April 1922 issue of The Numismatist, he describes the medal as being struck in white metal. The New York Historical Society website has a medal described as brass with link. The medal illustrated herein is not looped. It is struck in silver and has ARGENT 050 M/M incused on its edge.

I’ve always considered this an attractive and artistic medal, but attractiveness is in the eye of the beholder. The author of the AJN article had a different opinion. He wrote, 

“The execution is ordinary, and the fields too crowded with details—the peculiar fault of most of our medallic pieces to-day,—to produce a very satisfactory result.

Paris Firm

The name on the obverse of the piece is the signature of Adrien Duseaux and Company, a firm established in 1830. Around the turn of the century, it was located at 29 Rue Pastourelle in Paris. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Duseaux manufactured numerous medals. Interestingly, the company struck at least two other medals with similar designs. On the obverse of one, SOUVENIR DU TIRAGE AU SORT (“souvenir from the draw”) is around the top, and standing below is a man in civilian clothes and a soldier. The banner at the right has CLASSE/1897 and an incuse number. The reverse differences are minor; the woman’s belt buckle is blank, while on the 1898 medal, USA is on the buckle. The stars and stripes on the flag are replaced with the large letters FR. The piece is copper and looped at the top. The other medal is identical but with CLASSE/1902 on the banner.

French Trading Company

Very little is known about the company responsible for the medal’s issuance. The earliest New York City directory listing I found for the French Trading Company was in the 1911 edition, where it was listed at 105 Hudson Street. In 1918 it was located at 220 5th Avenue, where it was acting as an agent for Sussfeld & Cie of Paris, manufacturers of lingerie and millinery goods. The company’s owners, Hugo Sussfeld (president), Edmond Sussfeld (treasurer), and Julius Sussfeld (secretary) were also principals in Sussfeld, Lorsch and Company, a firm that imported jewelry, optical goods, and watches. In addition to its 37 Maiden Lane address in New York City, it was located at 16 Rue d’Enghien in Paris. The name of the company, which was established in 1854, was later changed to Selsi, and it is still in business.

Homecoming Celebration

It is safe to assume that the French Trading Company’s owners had the medal struck in France because of their connections there, and that they intended to market it in the United States. In September 1899, a huge homecoming celebration and parade was held in honor of Admiral George Dewey in New York City, and numerous medals and badges were offered for sale to those attending the events. This would have been an opportune time to sell the French medal. However, I’ve been unable to find any advertisements for either the variety that was looped and suspended from a ribbon, or the medal by itself. The manufacturing costs would have made it prohibitive to use it as a giveaway promotion. And, assuming that all the accounts cited earlier are accurate, the fact that the medals were struck in as many as four metals suggests they may have served multiple purposes or were intended to be sold at different prices. As with so many medals, this one leaves us with unanswered questions.

I welcome readers’ comments. Write to me at P.O. Box 2866, La Plata, MD 20646. If a reply is desired, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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A version of this article appears in the September 2025 issue of The Numismatist (money.org)