2008 Medal Cherokee Nation Code Talkers Bronze 38mm

Coin Details

Description

This 38mm bronze medal honors the Cherokee Nation Code Talkers who used the Cherokee language — one of the most distinctive Native American languages with its own unique syllabary writing system developed by Sequoyah in the 1820s — for military communications. The Cherokee code talker program represents a particularly notable chapter in the code talker story, as Cherokee speakers served in both World War I and World War II, making them among the earliest Native Americans to use their language for military communication purposes. The obverse features a design developed with the Cherokee Nation, incorporating cultural elements that reflect the tribe's rich heritage as one of the largest and most historically significant Native American nations. The Cherokee language's unique characteristics, including its polysynthetic grammar and the syllabary writing system that made it one of the few Native American languages with a pre-existing literacy tradition, gave it distinctive value as a code language. The Cherokee Nation's long history of military service to the United States, dating back to the American Revolution, provides deep context for the code talker contributions. The reverse carries Code Talkers program inscriptions. The Cherokee Nation, headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United States, and its code talkers' contributions reflect the broader pattern of Native American military service that has been a consistent feature of every American conflict since the colonial era.

Rarity Notes

Bronze duplicate medal, 38mm. Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008 series. Cherokee code talkers served in both World Wars.

Cross References

PCGS #917699; Code Talkers 2008; Cherokee Nation; Sequoyah syllabary