“I have not yet begun to fight!”
That’s a quote many know from the defiant American naval figure John Paul Jones when asked if he was ready to surrender by the British aboard the Bonhomme Richard, a ship converted from a French East Indiaman and gifted to the Americans. The battle began when Jones engaged the superior British frigate HMS Serapis off Flamborough Head, England. The Bonhomme Richard was heavily outgunned, on fire, and sinking, when Jones emitted the words that live on to this day.
John Paul was born the son of a gardener in Scotland. Leaving for sea at the age of 13 as a ship’s boy, he was a skilled sailor by the age of 20. After killing a mutinous sailor in self-defense in Tobago, he fled to America and added the name Jones. In 1775, he moved to the American colonies, and Jones offered his services to the Continental Congress. He became the first lieutenant on the first American flagship, the Alfred, and is credited with raising the first American flag over a naval vessel. Jones quickly received the first commission as captain of the Continental Navy.
On September 23, 1779, the Bonhomme Richard engaged the HMS Serapis in what became the most famous naval duel of the American Revolution. As the Bonhomme Richard sank, Jones successfully locked the two ships together and boarded the Serapis. The crew surrendered to Jones and as the Bonhomme Richard settled below water, Jones sailed away with the prize – the Serapis. These events off the coast of England sent shockwaves through Britain and made John Paul Jones a hero to America and France.
Following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the United States struck medals to honor key Revolutionary War victories and leaders in a fashion that inspired Americans, impressed European allies, and created lasting propaganda for the fledgling nation. Since the United States had no official mint or skilled engravers to consign for these purposes, the task was outsourced to the Paris Mint with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson as overseers.
This series of medals beginning in 1776 eventually became known as the Comitia Americana Series – Latin for “American Assembly.” A total of 11 different medals were commissioned, with issues being struck in gold, silver, and bronze. The gold medals were specially made for presentation to living recipients or their heirs. Only one of two gold medals of each type were struck. Additionally, silver and bronze medals were produced for members of Congress, foreign dignitaries, universities, and allied sovereigns. It is believed that across all 11 designs and medals, the cumulative mintage was under 500 pieces.
The 1789 John Paul Jones Comitia Americana medal is the 10th and second-to-last medal made in the series, as well as the only issue among these medals to feature a Naval battle and victory. With the Congressional Resolution on October 16, 1787, Congress unanimously voted to award John Paul Jones a “medal of gold” for his “valor and brilliant services” in the Flamborough Head action. It was left to the U.S. Minister to France, Thomas Jefferson, to oversee the project. In January of 1789, Jefferson received detailed excerpts of Jones’s journal to ensure historical accuracy. It was Augustin Dupre, who had engraved most of the series, that Jefferson entrusted with bringing the medal to life. Jefferson requested dies capable of striking about 350 medals in gold, silver, and copper. The medals would be delivered to diplomat William Short in December 1789. The gold example was awarded to John Paul Jones personally when he returned to Paris in 1790.
The medal features a right-facing bust of John Paul Jones in naval uniform. “JOANNI PAVLO JONES / CLASSIS PRAEFECTO / COMITIA AMERICANA” (To John Paul Jones, Commander of the Fleet, the American Congress”) is inscribed. The reverse depicts the moment of the battle when the Bonhomme Richard is locked broadside to the Serapis. Jones is on deck with a sword raised, as American sailors board the Serapis amid cannon fire and smoke. “HOSTIUM NAVIBUS CAPTIS SVCCESSV AC FVGATIS / AD ORAM SCOTIAE XXIII SEPT MDCCLXXIX “The enemy’s ships were captured or put to fight on the coast of Scotland, 23 September 1779”) is inscribed on the reverse.
The numismatic dilemma with these medals is they were restruck. These restrikes were made at different time periods, with different dies, and at different mints. Relatively little research goes into medals in comparison with coinage, and often this research is not published publicly and used to the benefit of only that researcher.
Here is the breakdown of the John Paul Jones medals:
- The original-struck examples from the Paris Mint with original dies exist as the following pieces:
- Gold – Unique gold medal awarded to John Paul Jones in Paris of 1790 and currently held by the U.S. Naval Academy
- Silver – PCGS spec number 935307
- Copper – PCGS spec number 886416
- Copper, with an indented collar - PCGS spec number 528917 (These medals were made with an indented collar leaving a square piece of extra medal positioned at 12:00 with the intent making the medal easier for mounting)
- Tin - Obverse Cliche PCGS spec number 974800
- Tin - Reverse Cliche PCGS spec number 825359 (These are uniface impressions for display purposes; the single example certified by PCGS has a later inscription on the paper coated undesigned side)
- The original die, original strikes can be distinguished by several die details but the easiest pick up point would be on the flower on the obverse, one side being repunched.
- Yellow bronze, with a plain edge - PCGS spec number 974801 (These medals are believed to be produced between 1815 and 1832; they have the flower still doubled, but lack die defects found on later strikes)
- Silver, with a plain edge - PCGS spec number 668336 (Struck sometime before 1832, these medals feature the doubled flower but also have an irregular reverse wire rim)
- Copper, with plain edge - PCGS spec number 975060 (Struck before 1832 and same as above silver)
- Silver, with anchor and “ARGENT” on edge - PCGS spec number 974802 (these were struck between 1841 and 1842)
- Copper, with hand and “CUIVRE” on edge - PCGS spec number 925859 (These were struck between 1845 and 1860)
* All except the earliest restrike in yellow bronze will have the irregular reverse wire rim detail along with the doubled flower.
New Dies
At some point in 1880 or after, the Paris Mint reengraved new dies and struck restrikes from these non-original dies. The flower on the obverse is no longer doubled in these examples:
- Silver, with cornucopia 2 and ARGENT on edge - PCGS spec number 707496 (Struck after 1880, these are struck in a matte finish)
- Bronze, with cornucopia and BRONZE on edge - PCGS spec number 882920 (Struck after 1880, these are struck in a matte finish)
- Gilt Bronze, with cornucopia and BRONZE on edge - PCGS spec number 874964 (Struck after 1880, these are struck in a matte finish)
- Bronze, with cornucopia and BRONZE on edge - PCGS spec number 827236 (Struck sometime in the 1960s, this medal has an antiqued surface)
United States Mint Gunmetal Strikes
United States Mint “Gunmetal Dies” strikes mark the first John Paul Jones medals produced on United States soil. Copied from an original strike in 1863 with dies made of bellmetal (gunmetal), only 25 were struck with an additional 25 struck in 1868 from these dies.
- “Gunmetal Dies” - PCGS spec 975059 - (Made in bronze, the flower is doubled, the rim is flat, and often these are seen with die breaks)
- U.S. Mint Copy - PCGS spec 615296 (Produced in bronze between 1875 and 1904, these medals are copies of the Paris Mint dies but instead of having flowers on the obverse they have four circles instead; the original engraver’s name Dupre has also been removed from the dies)
United States Modern Restrikes
- Silver - PCGS spec 974454 (Struck sometime in the 1970s through the 1980s, these are more like commemoratives tied to the American Bicentennial and carry an antiqued finish)
- Bronze - PCGS spec 977806 (Same as above, with origins in the 1970s and 1980s and bearing an antiqued finish)
The United States Navy was largely disbanded after the Revolutionary War, leaving John Paul Jones without a command. In 1788, he accepted a commission as rear admiral in the Russian Navy under Catherine the Great. Jones fought the Ottoman Empire in the Black Sea under the Liman campaign. While he was victorious at battle, he failed in Russian court with jealous and resentful people also in Russian service. After a smear campaign in 1789 and accusations designed to ruin him, he was forced to leave Russia forever.
Jones spent his last three years in Paris, dying in 1792 at the age of 45 – largely forgotten. He was buried in an unmarked grave and was lost for decades. It wouldn’t be until 1905 when U.S. Ambassador Horace Porter located his grave after exhaustive research. John Paul Jones was returned to the United States and re-interred with full honors at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in a tomb modeled after Napoleon’s.