Congressional Medal to C. W. Field for the Successful Laying of the Atlantic Cable
Unknown Artist
1867
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diam. 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm)
Classification
Medal
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cyrus W. Field, 1892
Accession Number
92.10.96a
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1866, after years of ambitious trials, American financier Cyrus W. Field achieved a historic breakthrough: the successful laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable, North America and Europe for instantaneous communication. This gold Congressional Medal, struck in 1867 and presented to Field, celebrates that triumph. Measuring just 2 5/8 inches in diameter, it exemplifies 19th-century commemorative artistry in precious metal, likely engraved with symbolic motifs including lions for strength and valor, allegorical men and women, globes representing global unity, and the cable itself a...