Congressional Gold Medal (est. 1776) - Philadelphia, PA - Oldest Award In America

An award is a recognition, prize, or honor given to someone or something for achievement, merit, excellence, or participation in a particular activity or competition. Awards can take many forms including trophies and medals.

The Congressional Gold Medal, first awarded in 1776, is America's oldest award of any kind. Identify Medals describes it as the oldest and highest American civilian award. The GI Research Foundation recognizes it as the oldest and highest civilian award in the U.S. The National Peace Corps Association also defines it as the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States.

The Continental Congress awarded the first Congressional Gold Medal to General George Washington on March 25, 1776, in recognition of his role in forcing the British evacuation of Boston. This makes it the oldest and highest civilian award that Congress can bestow.

It is a civilian award given by Congress to recognize distinguished achievements and contributions to American society. Each medal is individually designed and struck specifically for the recipient, making each one unique. The medal typically features a design relevant to the honoree's accomplishments.

Over the centuries, Congress has awarded these medals to a diverse group of individuals and organizations, including military leaders, explorers, inventors, entertainers, athletes, and humanitarian figures. Notable recipients include the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and the Tuskegee Airmen.

The front (obverse side) features Nisei (second generation Americans of Japanese ancestry) soldiers from both the European and Pacific theaters. The 442nd RCT color guard is depicted in the lower field of the medal.

The back (reverse side) depicts the insignias of the 100th INF BN, 442nd RCT and MIS. The 100th INF BN insignia features a taro leaf and a traditional Hawaiian helmet, both of which are emblematic of the unit’s Hawaiian roots. The “Go for Broke” Torch of Liberty shoulder patch represents the 442nd RCT. The MIS insignia is represented by a sphinx, a traditional symbol of secrecy. The inscriptions on the outer rim are the titles of the three units represented on the medal. In addition, the years “1941–1946,” the defined years of World War II according to the Department of Defense, are inscribed in the upper right field of the medal. The three stars positioned along the border represent the three units being honored.

Unlike military decorations that have established criteria, the Congressional Gold Medal has no set standards - it requires specific legislation for each award. This makes it quite rare and prestigious. The process typically involves a member of Congress introducing a bill, which must then pass both houses with significant support.

A Congressional Gold Medal is created by the United States Mint to commemorate the achievements for which the medal is awarded. The U.S. Mint commissioned artists to produce three designs for the Nisei Soldier Congressional Gold Medal. The National Veterans Network established a Gold Medal Design Committee which worked with World War II veterans nationwide to review medal designs and to ensure historical accuracy. 

90 surviving veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd RCT and Military Intelligence Service recommended a preferred design for the obverse and reverse side of the medal. The recommendation was presented to the Fine Arts Commission and Citizen Advisory Coinage Commission which approved the design in May 2011.

Although not America's oldest award, America's Cup, first awarded in 1851, is America's oldest trophy. It is also the world’s oldest continually contested trophy. America's Cup is described as the oldest trophy in sports by the National Maritime Historical Society. It is acknowledged as the oldest international yacht race by Guinness World Records. The City Island Nautical Museum defines it as the oldest international sporting trophy.

The America's Cup trophy, also known as the "Auld Mug" is an ornate sterling silver ewer crafted in 1848 and awarded to the winner of the America's Cup sailing competition. It is the oldest competition in international sport, and the fourth oldest continuous sporting trophy of any kind. 

The cup itself was first called the "RYS £100 Cup" and was officially first awarded in 1851. In 1983, the U.S. lost the trophy for the first time in 132 years when "Australia II" defeated Dennis Conner's Liberty (a racing yacht in the 12-meter class) off Newport, Rhode Island.

The New York Yacht Club relinquished the America's Cup, the historic and prestigious yacht racing trophy it had proudly held since 1857. This record remains the longest winning streak in sports history. America also still holds the Guinness World Record for the most wins of the America’s Cup sailing competition by a nation with 30 out of 35 stagings of the event from 1851–2013.

On August 22, 1851 the New York Yacht Club’s schooner "America" won a 53-mile race around England’s Isle of Wight organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron. It was awarded a “100 Guinea Cup” or “Queen’s Cup,” as it was variously known. Later the trophy came to be known as the “America’s Cup,” in honor of the schooner that won it. 

The U.S.-built schooner "America" bested a fleet of Britain’s finest ships in the race. The "America" beat 14 other contestants, coming in more than 20 minutes ahead of her nearest rival. And thus was born the America's Cup, the oldest trophy in international competition.

The silver trophy won by the "America" was later donated to the New York Yacht Club on condition that it be forever placed in international competition.  John Cox Stevens and the syndicate from the New York Yacht Club owned the "America" from the time that she was launched on May 3, 1851, until ten days after she won the regatta that made her famous.

The history of the yacht "America" began with five members of the New York Yacht Club, who decided to build a state-of-the-art schooner to compete against British ships in conjunction with England’s Great Exposition of 1851.

Designed by George Steers, the 100-foot, black-hulled "America" had a sharp bow, a V bottom, and tall masts, making it strikingly different from the traditional yachts of the day. In June 1851, the "America" set sail from its shipyard on New York City’s East River, bound for England. Manned by Captain William H. Brown and a crew of 12, the "America" raced and overtook numerous ships during the Atlantic crossing. 

On July 12, 1857, surviving members of the America syndicate donated the silver trophy they won in England, the "Hundred Guinea Cup," to the New York Yacht Club (NYYC). They called it the America's Cup, in honor of the yacht that won it. They invited yacht clubs around the world to compete and promised, "friendly competition between foreign countries." 

Finishing first in the America's Cup, NYYC boats did with amazing regularity. Boats flying the club flag held onto that trophy for 132 years, or until 1983. During that stewardship, NYYC boats won 81 of 93 races. The win in 1851 in England then had  24 defenses, from 1870 to 1980.

From 1870 until the late 20th century, New York Yacht Club-sponsored U.S. yachts successfully defended the America’s Cup 24 times in races generally spaced a few years apart. Today, the New York Yacht Club  its signature clubhouse on New York's West 44th Street which is now a National Historic Landmark.

While the America's Cup, established in 1848, is known as America's oldest trophy, the Congressional Gold Medal, established in 1776, holds the distinction of being the nation's oldest award of any kind.