Fort Moultrie (Fort Sumter National Monument)
A coin engraved with the courage of William Jasper, who raised the regimental flag again atop the wall.
Fort Moultrie is an old fort that guarded the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, and it is now protected as part of Fort Sumter National Monument. It has played an important role in harbor defense since the early days of the American Revolutionary War.
On the reverse of the coin is engraved the soldier William Jasper raising the regimental colors (the unit’s flag) again atop the wall of Fort Moultrie. It is the dramatic moment in which, during battle, he picks up again the flag that had fallen after being struck by a cannonball and plants it once more on the wall.
That the flag had fallen meant the unit’s morale could be broken, but Jasper, braving the danger, raised that flag again and instilled courage in his comrades. This scene symbolizes an unyielding spirit and the will toward independence.
This time-honored fort was designated a national monument on April 28, 1948, so that the courage of that day could be long remembered.
This coin from the ‘America the Beautiful’ series lets you encounter, in the palm of your hand, the spirit of America’s earliest days contained in one soldier’s bold act.