(1837-85) Bronze Medal J-MI-12, Col. George Croghan

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,560 MS66 11-21-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

The circa 1837-1885 bronze military medal cataloged as Julian MI-12 honors Colonel George Croghan for his defense of Fort Stephenson at Lower Sandusky, Ohio on August 2, 1813, during the War of 1812. The twenty-one-year-old Croghan commanded a garrison of only 160 men with a single cannon — a six-pounder nicknamed "Old Betsy" — and repelled a combined British and Native American assault force of approximately 1,300 troops under General Henry Procter. The obverse features Croghan's military portrait. The reverse carries commemorative imagery of the Fort Stephenson defense. The 1837-1885 date range indicates production across multiple restrike periods. Croghan's defense was notable for his innovative use of the fort's single cannon, which was moved between positions to give the impression of a more heavily armed garrison. When British forces attempted to storm the fort through a breach in the walls, Croghan positioned Old Betsy at point-blank range and loaded it with grapeshot, devastating the assault column. Congress awarded him a gold medal for what was one of the most spirited small-garrison defenses in American military history.

Rarity Notes

Bronze duplicates produced across the 1837-1885 restrike period. Croghan's youth and the dramatic nature of the defense add historical interest.

Cross References

Julian MI-12; PCGS #923300