Military Order of Foreign Wars

The Medal The Medal Commemorating Maritime Protection of the New Republic was licensed by the Military Order of Foreign Wars to recognize the contribution of the Revenue Cutter Service, predecessor of the United States Coast Guard, in securing the maritime borders of the United States in the earliest years of the Republic.

Period of Service

This medal commemorates the service and dedication of the Revenue Cutter Service, which held sole responsibility for the protection of the national maritime enterprise between 1790 and 1797.

Designer

The Medal Commemorating Maritime Protection of the New Republic was designed by Nadine Russell, the Chief of Creative Heraldry at the Army’s Institute of Heraldry and the designer of many of this Nation’s campaign and service medals. This medal was privately commissioned by the Military Order of Foreign Wars.

Symbolism

Obverse

In the center of a bronze medallion, an American eagle is depicted grasping a shield and crossed tridents. The inscription MARITIME PROTECTION OF THE NEW REPUBLIC 1790 – 1797 surrounds the central motif and appears in raised letters. The words NEW REPUBLIC appear at the bottom of the medal and are separated from the remainder of the inscription by laurel leaves. The eagle, our national symbol, appears in a style used by the United States during its early years. It grasps the shield of the Republic in one talon and two crossed tridents in the other, thus reflecting maritime prowess in protection of the New Republic. The eagle epitomizes the principles and ideals of the new nation while embodying the spirit of freedom and independence. The stylized laurel on either side represents honor and achievement, hallmarks of the United States Coast Guard since its earliest days, when it was known as the Revenue Cutter Service.

Reverse

The reverse bears the seal of the Military Order of Foreign Wars: In the center of a bronze medallion, a shield bearing four swords pointing downward, two at an angle from the left, and two at an angle from the right. Above the swords is an American eagle with its wings spread, shown behind a battlement. Behind the shield is a field of thirteen stars amid a cloud formation, and above the shield is a mural circlet from which arises an arm in armor holding four thunderbolts. Beneath the shield is a banner bearing the motto, DEUS ET LIBERTAS, and beneath the banner appears the date 1894 (the date being separated, right and left). Surrounding the entire central theme is another banner, this one bearing the inscription, MILITARY ORDER OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES, and surrounding this banner is a circle of bullets.

Ribbon

The ribbon is adapted from the Coast Guard streamer for the Maritime Protection of the New Republic. The colors of the ribbon consist of alternating stripes of red and white (eight red and white stripes, beginning with red on the right and ending in white on the left). This combination was taken from the original Revenue Cutter Service ensign (authorized in 1799) that consisted of “sixteen perpendicular stripes, alternate red and white, the Union of the Ensign to be the Arms of the Untied States in dark blue, on a white Field.”

Background

Following the American Revolution, Congress dismantled the Continental Navy, and naval matters were administered by the War Department. By 1785 the last of the Continental Navy’s ships had been sold, leaving the New Republic with no Naval force to protect its interests on the seas. The Treasury Department, which quickly became the largest department of government, was responsible for collecting customs duties at the various ports, and these revenues were an important source of income for the Government. However, by 1790 maritime smuggling to avoid the payment of import tariffs was a well-established practice along the American coast. Although the Treasury Department was responsible for collecting customs and duties, operating lighthouses, and registering vessels, it had no means for dealing with the problem of maritime smugglers. On April 23, 1790, Alexander Hamilton presented Congress with a Bill calling for the establishment of a “Revenue Marine Service” with an initial fleet of ten small cutters to enforce revenue laws and prevent smuggling. Congress passed Hamilton’s Revenue Cutter bill on August 4, 1790. In addition to preventing smuggling, the Revenue Cutter Service performed other important naval duties. For example, during the Napoleonic Wars, French privateers occasionally seized British and Spanish ships within the three mile limit of the United States coast. Although the Revenue Cutter Service was largely ineffective in preventing French ships from operating in American waters, they did the best they could under the circumstances. In fact, it was this quasi-war with France that led to the establishment of the United States Navy by an Act of Congress on April 30, 1798. Between 1790 and 1797 the Revenue Cutter Service provided services of great value to the United States during which they secured a reputation for excellence that continues through the modern United States Coast Guard.