Site: 18AN596 Wilderness

Context: Lot 65, Unit 9, Level 1A. Area adjacent to the entrance of an 18th-century root cellar. Level 1A reflects soil disturbed by repairs that took place in the mid-20th century.

Site Date Range: c. 1775-1950s

Metal: White metal alloy

Dimensions: 0.7” (17.6 mm) wide, 0.825” (20.9mm) tall, 0.03” (0.8 mm) thick

Front:
“O MARY CONCEIVED WITHOUT SIN PRAY FOR US WHO HAVE RECOURSE TO THEE” and “1830” around the Virgin Mary with rays emitting from her hands. Signed “F KOCH” under the date.

Back:
Miraculous Medal motif showing the letter “M” with a cross over it, and under both are the Sacred Heart of Jesus with a crown of thorns, and the Sacred Heart of Mary pierced by a sword.

History:
The Miraculous Medal motif is attributed to Zoe Labore, a member of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris, France. She was canonized as Saint Catherine after the Virgin Mary appeared to her three times in 1830, and ordered that a medal with this image be struck so that those who wore the medals would be blessed with great graces. The first medals were made in 1832 (Glass 1911). Most Miraculous Medals depict Mary on the front with rays emitting from her fingers as seen in Labore’s first vision.