(1859) Silver Medal GW-312, Brown's Equestrian Statue

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,680 MS62 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This silver medal cataloged as GW-312 commemorates Brown's Equestrian Statue of George Washington, produced circa 1859. The statue in question is the monumental equestrian bronze by Henry Kirke Brown, erected in Union Square, New York City in 1856 — the first major public statue of Washington in New York. Brown's statue depicts Washington on horseback in the moment of the Continental Army's triumphal entry into New York on November 25, 1783, known as Evacuation Day, when British forces finally departed the city. The silver composition marks this as a premium commemorative rather than a mass-produced souvenir, intended for collectors or participants in the statue's dedication. The erection of Washington's equestrian statue in Union Square was a significant civic event that generated numerous commemorative medals, tokens, and souvenirs. Brown's work established the equestrian monument as a defining form of American public sculpture and inspired similar Washington statues across the nation.

Rarity Notes

GW-312, silver. Brown Equestrian Statue commemorative. Premium composition. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #888565; GW-312; Brown Equestrian Statue, silver