2008 Medal Ho-Chunk Nation 76mm Code Talkers

Coin Details

Description

This large 76mm medal honors the Ho-Chunk Nation Code Talkers, members of the Winnebago/Ho-Chunk people who used their Siouan language for military communications. The Ho-Chunk Nation, based in Wisconsin, has a distinguished military tradition that extends back to pre-contact times, and its code talkers continued this tradition by putting their ancestral language to strategic use in defense of the United States. The 76mm format of this medal, larger than the standard 38mm Code Talkers duplicates, provides an expanded canvas for artistic tribute. The obverse features a design honoring the Ho-Chunk code talkers with cultural imagery specific to the Ho-Chunk Nation. The Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) language is a Siouan language with distinctive phonological features including nasalized vowels and a pitch accent system that made it particularly difficult for non-speakers to comprehend or reproduce. The Ho-Chunk people's name means "People of the Big Voice" or "People of the Sacred Language," lending particular resonance to their code talker service, in which their language literally became a weapon of war. The reverse carries Code Talkers program inscriptions in the expanded 76mm format. The larger size of this medal compared to the standard 38mm Code Talkers series may indicate it was produced as a special presentation or premium version. The Ho-Chunk Nation's military service rate is among the highest per capita of any American community, and the code talker recognition acknowledges one facet of this extraordinary tradition of service.

Rarity Notes

Bronze medal, 76mm format. Larger than the standard 38mm Code Talkers series. Ho-Chunk Nation recognition.

Cross References

PCGS #888689; Code Talkers 2008; Ho-Chunk Nation (Winnebago); Siouan language family