This is a medal from the year AD 1889, awarded by the Sons of the American Revolution to Charlemagne Tower. The ribbon on the observe side of the medal is a combination of blue and white silk satin. Below the ribbon is the emblem of the Sons of the American Revolution, featuring an eagle with wings down and head facing right, symbolising a noble aspiration to lead America forward. The eagle’s talons grasp the medal with double rings.
The observe side of the medal bears the legend “SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,” representing the organisation’s name. The figure at the centre of the legend is a militiaman holding a rifle. The design of the medal is an eight-point Maltese cross in white enamel with a gold ball at each point, influenced by the French Order of Saint Louis.
The reverse side bears the legend “LIBERTAS ET PATRIA,” with the central figure being Washington. Libertas refers to the goddess of liberty in Roman mythology, symbolising freedom. In this context, it represents the spirit of liberty, and notably, the Statue of Liberty is based on this deity. Patria refers to the homeland and is the root of the English word “patriotism.” The medal also commemorates American patriots from various periods. Another noteworthy feature is the number ”5352” located on the arm of the Maltese cross.
The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), formally known as the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR), traces its origins to the Sons of the Revolution, a society founded in New York City in 1876 by John Austin Stevens. He envisioned an aristocratic and hereditary society similar to the Society of the Cincinnati.
The SAR aims to honour those who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honour to achieve independence from Great Britain. Its mission is described as “maintaining and extending the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, a respect for national symbols, the value of American citizenship, and the unifying force of ‘e pluribus unum,’ which signifies the coming together of people from many nations as one nation and one people.”
The organisation actively promotes “patriotism” and can be seen on Constitution Day, Flag Day, and Bill of Rights Day. Furthermore, the organisation has members in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, highlighting its influence.
To date, a total of 17 U.S. Presidents have been members of the SAR. The membership list of the Sons of the American Revolution has included notable figures such as William McKinley, Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Gerald R. “Jerry” Ford. The SAR is highly respected and recognised both nationally and internationally.
Charlemagne Tower, the recipient of this medal, was a direct descendant of the first Holy Roman Emperor through his mother’s lineage. He is the founder of what is now the town of Tower City in Pennsylvania, USA. Additionally, he was an American lawyer and businessman. His interest was in collecting rare books, particularly those related to colonial laws. By the time of his passing, he had amassed the most complete collection of colonial law books in the world.
His commercial success stemmed from his active acquisition of land in the Schuylkill Valley of Pennsylvania and his role as an officer in coal and railway companies.
However, acquiring this land was no easy feat. At that time, he became embroiled in a case. The case originated from Tower being commissioned by Monson-William to use his legal expertise to resolve ownership disputes involving 8,000 acres of land. In short, the 8,000 acres that Monson-William intended to acquire had issues with property encroachment. To resolve the legal problems, Monson offered Tower as much as half of the land’s ownership as a reward.
To prevent other competitors from targeting their land, the partners had Tower handle the purchases and register the land under nominee account to conceal the true ownership. By AD 1858, the partners had already controlled 11,000 acres of land. It was only then that the relevant land users realised what was happening and filed lawsuits against Monson-William. Thanks to Tower’s exceptional legal skills, the plan did not fall apart.
In AD 1867, Tower decided to sell the land he owned but initially found no buyers due to ownership disputes. Eventually, in March AD 1868, Tower decided to lease 1,503 acres of land to two independent coal companies, which developed the Tower Mine and Brookside Mine. The lease term was 15 years, with a rent of $0.30 per ton of coal. Additionally, Tower developed a town near the mines, naming it Towersville after himself, a name that is still in use today.
During the American Civil War, Tower joined the military out of patriotism and was appointed a captain. Within three months, he organised and led a regiment of Federal soldiers from Pottsville. Due to his numerous achievements, he was awarded this medal.
獎章正面的銘文為 SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION，代表組織名；圍繞在銘文中央的人物為一持槍民兵。獎章樣式則為八角（八個方位都有點）馬爾他十字型，該設計理念受法國聖路易斯獎章的影響。
背面則為拉丁銘文 「LIBERTAS ET PATRIA」，背面中央人物為華盛頓。「Libertas」為自主神，在古羅馬神話中為一女性神祇，象徵自由，在此處除了代表自由的精神外，美國知名地標自由女神像，也是取材自此神；而Patria則是祖國，在現今英語詞彙中為patriotism的辭源，恰巧的是，該枚獎章也紀念美國不同時期的愛國者。另有值得注意的地方是，在馬爾他十字架吊臂側邊有一串數字「5352」。
迄今為止，共有17位美國總統曾是SAR的成員。美國革命之子成員名單曾有 威廉·麥金利（William McKinley）、赫伯特·胡佛（Herbert Hoover）、德懷特·D·艾森豪威爾（Dwight D. Eisenhower）、傑拉爾德·R·傑瑞·福特（Gerald R. “Jerry” Ford）等。SAR可說在國內、國際都備受推崇、肯定。
