(1860) Bronze Medal Baker-315, Washington-Houdon Statue

Coin Details

Description

This bronze medal, cataloged as Baker-315, depicts the famous Houdon statue of George Washington, produced circa 1860. Jean-Antoine Houdon's full-length marble statue of Washington, completed in 1788 and installed in the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, is considered the most accurate and important sculptural portrait of Washington executed from life. Houdon traveled from Paris to Mount Vernon in 1785 to take a life mask and precise measurements of Washington, resulting in a work of remarkable realism. This medal translates Houdon's three-dimensional sculpture into the medallic format, capturing Washington standing in his Continental Army uniform with his left hand resting on a fasces (a bundle of rods symbolizing republican authority) and a plow behind him representing his role as gentleman farmer. The circa 1860 date places this medal in the period of intense Washington-collecting activity that preceded and accompanied the Civil War, when patriotic Americans sought medallic connections to the founding generation. Bronze was the standard composition for commemorative medals of this era, offering durability and fine detail reproduction at moderate cost.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce. The Houdon statue medal is well-known in the Washington series and appears periodically at auction and in dealer stocks. Attractive bronze examples with good patina are sought after.

Cross References

Baker-315; Musante GW-310; PCGS #568465