(1806-07) Bronze Medal GW-58 - Sansom Original Silvered

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as Baker 71 and Musante GW-58, this original silvered bronze striking of the Sansom Medal from circa 1806-07 represents the first production from the dies commissioned by Joseph Sansom, a cultivated Philadelphia merchant and connoisseur with deep connections to the city's artistic and intellectual community. The Sansom Medal is widely regarded as featuring one of the finest and most naturalistic Washington portraits in the entire corpus of American medallic art — a sensitive, direct rendering that captures Washington's character with an intimacy and humanity absent from the more idealized or martial interpretations found on many other medals. The obverse portrait and the allegorical reverse scene together established the Sansom Medal's reputation as a masterpiece of early 19th-century American medallic design. The silvered finish — a thin layer of silver applied to the bronze surface — gives this striking a bright, luminous appearance that enhances the portrait's fine details and distinguishes original silvered examples from plain bronze and later restrike productions. As an original striking predating the later reissues and restrikings produced from the same dies over subsequent decades, this piece represents the highest die state quality, capturing the sharpest impression of the design before die wear and fatigue accumulated through repeated use. Very rare, original silvered strikings of the Sansom Medal are highly prized by Washington medal specialists as the finest available expression of one of the most celebrated portrait medals in American numismatic history.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Original silvered strikings of the Sansom Medal are highly prized.

Cross References

Baker 71; Musante GW-58