Libertas Americana facts for kids
The Libertas Americana is a special medal. It was created to celebrate the end of the American Revolution. A famous American, Benjamin Franklin, helped design it.
One of these medals even appeared on the TV show Pawn Stars. It was sold for a lot of money – 150,000 dollars!
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The Story Behind the Medal
After the important Siege of Yorktown, people wanted a way to remember this big victory. Benjamin Franklin had the idea for this medal. He wrote about his plan in a letter in 1782.
Other artists also helped with the design. Esprit-Antoine Gibelin and Augustin Dupré worked on the back of the medal.
What the Medal Looks Like
The Libertas Americana medal has two sides, just like a coin.
The Front Side: Lady Liberty
The front of the medal shows the goddess Liberty. She is a symbol of freedom. Next to her is a pole with a special hat on top. This hat is called a Phrygian cap, and it also stands for freedom.
The Back Side: A Story in Pictures
The back of the medal tells a story using pictures. It shows a baby, Hercules, who represents the United States. A big lion is attacking the baby. The lion stands for the United Kingdom.
The baby Hercules is strong and is shown fighting two snakes. A goddess named Athena is protecting the baby. Athena represents France. This shows how France helped the United States during the war.
There is also a Latin saying on the back: "NON SINE DIIS ANIMOSUS INFANS." This means "The infant is not bold without the help of the gods." It reminds us that the United States had help to win its freedom.