Bronze, marked "PATENTED DEC. 28, 1869" and numbered "690" on the reverse, 43.5 mm x 45.5 mm, tri-color American flag style ribbon, 22.2 mm x 31.5 mm eagle with crossed cannons over eight cannonballs suspension with pinback, surface wear evident on the obverse, near extremely fine.
Footnote: The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, Marines and Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died. Linking men through their experience of the war, the GAR became among the first organized advocacy groups in American politics, supporting voting rights for black veterans, lobbying the U.S. Congress to establish veterans' pensions, and supporting Republican political candidates. Its peak membership, at more than 400,000, was in 1890; a high point of Civil War commemorative ceremonies. It was succeeded by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), composed of male descendants of Union veterans.