The First Proposal of Navy Medals
1861, the first proposal for a battlefield decoration of valor was submitted. However, the general-in-chief of the army, Winfield Scott, did not want medals to be awarded. When Scott retired in October, the Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, decided he liked the idea of a decoration to recognize and honor distinguished service in the Navy, and the proposal was reconsidered.
On December 21 of 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proposal into law. The Navy Medal of Valor was created, with the desire to encourage efficiency of the Navy. The Medal of Valor was established purposely for the Navy, so that petty officers, seaman, landsman, or even marines that distinguished themselves from others through exceptional heroism during the war could be acknowledged. The Philadelphia Mint designed the original medal.