Description

The Fallen Heroes of NY Bronze Medal is a bronze duplicate of the Congressional Gold Medal honoring the men and women who perished in New York City as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Following the ceremony on September 10, 2014, the gold medal was given to the National September 11^th Memorial and Museum in New York for permanent display.

The obverse of the medal features an abstract representation of two towers. The abstract lines flowing downward symbolize loss, while the lines moving upward represent rising above, hope and deliverance from that loss. This configuration also suggests the World Trade Center’s twin towers. The numbers “93,” “77,” “175,” and “11” represent the four planes involved in the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and are positioned as if on a clock, representing the times of the crashes. The words “ALWAYS REMEMBER” are set upon a stone wall similar to the wall that bears the names of the victims at the memorial. It carries the additional inscription “ACT OF CONGRESS 2011.”

The reverse features a single rose at the top edge, an echo of the memorial in New York where a white rose is placed through the name of each victim on his or her birthday.

The inscription reads:
“WE HONOR THE THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE FROM MORE THAN 90 COUNTRIES LOST AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN THE ATTACKS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. MAY THEIR MEMORY INSPIRE AN END TO INTOLERANCE.” The design also features a bald eagle standing sentinel and clasping branches of laurel, signifying an eternal honoring of those who perished in the tragedies.

The tragic deaths at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and in rural Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, forever changed our nation. Civilians, officers, emergency workers and members of the military, as well as federal, state and local government employees took heroic and noble action on that day. In recognition of the support of the country for those who lost their lives to terrorism, Public Law 112-76 authorizes the production of three Congressional Gold Medals – one for each of the three sites – and corresponding bronze medals. The three medals bear unique designs emblematic of each site.