The Fidelity Medallion is the oldest decoration of the

United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is th ...

and was created by act of the Continental Congress in 1780. Also known as the "André Capture Medal", the Fidelity Medallion was awarded to those soldiers who participated in the capture of Major John André, of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, who had been the contact to Benedict Arnold and had helped organize his defection. Historical records indicate that three soldiers, all members of the militia of

New York state New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

, were awarded the Fidelity Medallion after its first issuance: Private

John Paulding John Paulding (October 16, 1758 – February 18, 1818) was an American militiaman from the state of New York during the American Revolution. In 1780, he was one of three men who captured Major John André, a British spy associated with the treas ...

, Private David Williams, and Private Isaac Van Wart. The obverse of the medallion was inscribed ""; the reverse, with the motto, "", which means, "The love of country conquers." The Fidelity Medallion was never again bestowed and it quickly became regarded as a commemorative decoration. For this reason, the

Badge of Military Merit The Badge of Military Merit was a military award of the United States Armed Forces. It is largely considered America's first military decoration, and the second oldest in the world (after the Cross of St. George). The award was only given to non-c ...

is generally considered the first decoration of the U.S. military, even though it was created two years after the Fidelity Medallion, in 1782.

Authorizing statute

Disposition of the three Medallions

All three of the original Medallions were thought to be lost. Isaac Van Wart's example was thought to be lost at the time of his death in 1828, but is actually in the hands of a descendant in Westchester County, NY. John Paulding's and David Williams' medallions were both donated to the

New-York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum ...

in 1905 which displayed them in a locked, glass-topped case. In mid-1975, the two Medallions were stolen, along with the pocket watch originally belonging to Major John André. The Historical Society did not go public with the loss at the time, and none of the items have been recovered.

Replicas

In the two centuries since the original Fidelity Medallions were issued, replicas have occasionally been produced in metals including silver, pewter, lead and bronze and in varying degrees of historical accuracy. The

American Numismatic Society The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins, money, medals, tokens, and related objects. Founded in 1858, it is the only American museum devoted exclusively to their preservati ...

has six different specimens in their collection. An auction catalog, published for a September 2012 sale which featured a replica of the award, includes a description of the Fidelity Medallion:

..Fidelity Medallion, the oldest decoration of the United States military and created by act of the Continental Congress in 1780. It is also referred to as "André Capture Medal" as historical records indicate that it was awarded to three soldiers from the New York Militia, David Williams, John Paulding and Isaac Van Wert, who aided in the arrest of Major John André for his role in organizing Benedict Arnold's defection to the British Army. The medal is 55 mm × 41 mm, beautifully struck. The face of the medallion contains the inscription "FIDELITY" and the reverse "AMOR PATRIÆ VINCIT" ("The love of country conquers").

At the time, the medal did not sell.

References

{{Reflist 1780 in the United States Awards and decorations of the United States Army Awards established in 1780 Ordinances of the Continental Congress Wound decorations