United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Copied Paul Manship, United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal, 1919, bronze, 9 1⁄2 in. (24.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.134

Artwork Details

Title
United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Artist
Date
1919
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
9 1⁄2 in. (24.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Bequest of Paul Manship
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Animal — bird — eagle
  • Architecture — boat — ship
  • Animal — dolphin
  • Allegory — civic — military
  • Object — other — wreath
Object Number
1966.47.134
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.47.134

Artwork Description

Congress authorized the United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal on February 4, 1919. The medal is awarded for meritorious service in the Navy, whether in combat or noncombat operations. This is a large-scale replica of an alternate design by Paul Manship and may have been created as an artist’s sample or to hang in an officer’s quarters. The American eagle appears on the obverse and Poseidon’s trident on the reverse. The pendant medal hangs from a bar sculpted in the shape of a military ship supported by two dolphins.