Pro Patria Medal (design for reverse)

Joseph Renier dedicated this medal “to all those who contribute their something to life, with the hope for the future, of the country and of humanity . . .” His words echo the Latin inscriptions meaning “For Country” and “For Humanity” that appear on the obverse and reverse of his design. On the reverse, the eagle devouring the body of Prometheus may be a reference to the German eagles displayed by the Nazi regime, which threatened the Western world when Renier designed this medal. The jagged edges mark this object as a “splasher,” in which the molten metal was stamped with die to gauge the sharpness of the image.