1998 Black Revolutionary War Patriots Commemorative Medal Proof Obverse
1998 Black Revolutionary War Patriots Commemorative Medal Proof Reverse
The coin was authorized to honor the black Revolutionary War patriots and the 275th anniversary of the birth of the first black Revolutionary War patriot, Crispus Attucks. The coin was available for purchase from the U.S. Mint from February 13, 1998, through December 31, 1998.
In addition to the coin itself, a young collectors edition and a coin and stamp set were offered. The coin and stamp set featured four postage stamps, honoring four African American patriots: Frederick Douglass; Harriet Tubman; Benjamin Banneker; and Salem Poor.
The Black Revolutionaries
When people think of the patriots who fought for the United States' freedom, most are unaware that the first patriot to die was an African American man. Crispus Attucks was killed by the British in the Boston Massacre of 1770.
Attucks was the first but not the only African American patriot. More than 5,000 fought in the Revolutionary War--although the liberty they fought for would be something only their descendents would enjoy. In Virginia, dozens froze, starved and died; the 1st Rhode Island Regiment was made up entirely of 250 African Americans. British General Cornwallis was completely fooled by double agent James Armistead, the African American man who stood by General Lafayette's side when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.
These patriots are to be honored in a memorial approved by Congress. The Black Patriots Memorial will be on the National Mall just north of the reflecting pool, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. This is the historic site of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, an inspiration to generations, both black and white.
A surcharge of $10 benefited the establishment of an endowment to support the construction of a Black Revolutionary War Patriots Memorial.
Commemorative coin programs are created by acts of Congress to honor a person, place, or event. Surcharges from the sales of these coins help fund a variety of organizations and projects that benefit the public. Commemorative coins are only available from the United States Mint for a limited time, as specified by public law.
The obverse features a portrait of Crispus Attucks, the first patriot to be killed in the Revolutionary War. The reverse features the proposed Black Patriots Memorial. The memorial will honor not only the patriots, but their families as well.
