17th and 18th Century
Religious Medals and Crucifixes An Introduction

Religious Medals:

In an archeological context, religious medals and crucifixes can be found in a wide variety of style and subject matter throughout North America in English, French and Spanish influenced areas of Native occupation. Due to the vast number of collected examples in both public and private collections we have determined some of the commonalities in the early period of 1600-1780 that can specify what is generally appropriate to the Northeast. Of the countless medals that we have examined, or are aware of, all items in question were fashioned from a copper alloy, namely brass. Roughly ninety percent of medals and crucifixes in this period have a different suspension shank than later examples. Although it is not always the case, these medals have a "stringing" hole running parallel to the medal itself whereas later examples run perpendicular to the medal. Most 17th and 18th century medals are rather small, averaging 20mm to 30mm in height and round, oval, or octagonal in shape. Octagonal medals are often thought to be from an 18th century context; however this may not be an exact determination as octagonal medals have been found in the Onondaga Penn Site 1680-1694, as well as other 17th century sites. Larger medals have been recovered but are not all that common in the Northeast. These types of medals seem to have been so popular that some Native artisans attempted and often did recreate their own medals from lead.

Crucifixes:

Crucifixes have an equally large geographic distribution in a European influenced Native context and are just as diverse in style as religious medals. Some basic types are; cast embossed single part; two-part cast metal; and two-part, wood-cast metal styles; most of which average between 4cm and 7cm in length. Shapes vary as well, with 2 common types; (single and double bar) and various styles attributed to both. A number of period rosaries and chaplets have been found as well at Ft. Ticonderoga, Ft. Michilimackinac, Fortress Louisburg, and Baltimore, Maryland. In most cases the common metal of manufacture is brass, although there have been examples made of a "white metal" to which we have not yet determined, occasionally pewter, and in the rarest of instances, silver.

To date we are unsure as to where these religious medals and crucifixes were manufactured. Due to the large number of similar medals found in France and Italy we can assume that these articles were most likely manufactured in Italy and via France brought to North America by missionaries assigned with the duties of religious conversion of Native peoples. Although many of these items were found in Native occupied sites, we can also place these medals and crucifixes in colonial European use as well.

We will continue to research and develop new reproductions in the area of religious material in the future, so we encourage you to check back often for updates.

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Medals and Crucifixes
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At The Eastern Door 2007