Medal of Honor of the U.S. Army of the period 1896-1903, copy

Yellow metal, patination. A perfectly executed American replica of a rare military award. In stock only 1 pc. 

The Medal of Honor (USA) is the highest military award of the United States. The medal is awarded for "outstanding bravery and bravery displayed at the risk of life and exceeding the duty of service, while participating in actions against enemies of the United States; in military operations involving a clash with opposing foreign forces; or while serving with friendly foreign forces involved in a military conflict with opposing armed forces in which The United States is not a belligerent."

Each branch of the US Armed Forces is entitled to its own medal design, but in practice the Marine Corps and Coast Guard use the Navy design. The first military award of the United States is considered to be the badge "For Military Merit", approved by George Washington in 1782. They stopped awarding them after the end of the American War of Independence. During the Mexican-American War, American soldiers were awarded a Certificate of Merit, which many years later, in 1905, received the status of a medal. Despite this, before the outbreak of the Civil War of 1861-1865 in the United States there was no reward for individual heroism in battle. Shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, on December 9, 1861, a proposal to create such a medal was put forward by Senator James W. Grimes of Iowa. On December 21, Grimes' proposal was approved by the Senate as Bill No. 82, and President Abraham Lincoln approved the creation of the Naval Medal of Valor, which became the earliest version of the Medal of Honor. The design and production of the first two hundred medals were entrusted to the Mint in Philadelphia. On February 17, 1862, Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts introduced a bill of merit for enlisted and non-commissioned officers of the U.S. Army. On July 12, 1862, a law was signed establishing the Medal of Honor for this type of troops and establishing the same name for the naval award. The first to receive the new award was Private Jacob Parrot, a participant in the Great Locomotive Race, on March 25, 1863; although the first act awarded the medal was performed by Private Francis Brownell on May 21, 1861, he was awarded only in 1877. Initially, it was assumed that awards would be made only for actions during the Civil War, but in 1863 Congress established the permanent status of the medal. In 1956, a separate version of the Medal of Honor was approved for the US Air Force, which was separated from the US Army in 1947.