In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, France was making and exporting
a lot of devotional art to the New World (including Latin America).
 
I would suggest that you use the keywords "saint's medal" or "religious
medal" when searching for information on this. Also, there are books on
religious iconography (or symbolism) that should help you identify which
saint's medal you have. We find quite a few of these medals on Spanish
sites here in the borderlands.
 
 
At 12:53 PM 12/4/1998 -0800, you wrote:
>Hello, I'm new to the HISTARCH list.  I'm an archaeology student working
>for Parks Canada, and I am researching a French Catholic devotional
>medal (mid-19th century) excavated this season at Rocky Mountain House,
>Alberta.  It's known as a "Miraculous Medal", and I would like to know
>if anyone else has encountered these, or any other fur trade era
>religious medals.  I have not had much luck in finding information about
>religious medals of any kind, and I hope someone out there has a
>suggestion or two for sources to look up.
>
>Thanks!
>Rena
>
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Anita Cohen-Williams
Listowner of HISTARCH, SUB-ARCH, SPANBORD
Contributing Editor, Anthropology page, http://www.suite101.com
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/cohwill/index.html
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"Everything comes to him who waits, except a loaned book." -- Kim Hubbard