103482 | UNITED STATES. Uriah P. Levy bronze Medal.

103482  |  UNITED STATES. Uriah P. Levy bronze Medal. Issued 1988. Jewish-American Hall of Fame series: commemorating the first Jewish Commodore of the United States Navy (46mm x 44mm, 55.31 g, 12h). By Hal Reed for the Medallic Art Co.

 

COMMODORE URIAH P LEVY • 1792 • 1862, bust facing slightly left in naval attire; scroll (mentioning Levy's anti-flogging bill), ship, and banner in background // Perspective exterior view of Monticello; facsimile of Th. Jefferson's signature above, Monticello in script below. Edge: MAGNES MUSEUM / 9 / MACO-BRONZE.

 

JAHF 20. Choice Mint State. Glossy pale-bronze surfaces, with some darker antiqued hues in the recesses. Serially numbered 9 of 350.

 

Though serving as the first Jewish Commodore of the United States Navy later in life, Uriah Levy faced numerous earlier courts-martial instigated solely upon his Jewish faith. One of his proudest achievements was securing enough support for the abolishment of the barbaric punishment in the U.S. Navy known as flogging. Another important act for which Levy is greatly known connects him with Thomas Jefferson, of whom he was a great admirer. Following Jefferson's death in 1826, his estate (Monticello and the surrounding grounds) had fallen into severe disrepair. Levy purchased the estate, funded renovations, and even expanded upon the existing land. After Levy's death in 1862, the grounds were dedicated to the American people, and Jefferson's home remains what it is today thanks to the vision and funding of Levy.

 

Upload: 18 March 2026.