(1860) Copper Medal GW-528, Mule Washington Double Head

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,800 MS66RD 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This copper medal cataloged as GW-528 is a mule combining a Washington obverse with a second Washington head on the reverse, creating a "double head" piece, produced circa 1860. Mule medals — combining obverse and reverse dies from different medal pairs — were a specialty of private die sinkers and numismatic entrepreneurs who experimented with their die inventories to create unusual and collectible combinations. The double-headed Washington mule places the first president's portrait on both sides, creating a piece that is purely numismatic in purpose rather than commemorative or commercial. These deliberate mules were produced specifically for the collector market, where unusual die combinations were prized for their rarity and oddity. The copper composition was standard for experimental or limited production pieces. Mule medals occupy a unique niche in Washington numismatics, documenting the creative experimentation of die sinkers who recognized that collectors valued unusual combinations as much as traditional designs.

Rarity Notes

GW-528, copper. Double Head mule. Deliberately created collector piece. Limited production.

Cross References

PCGS #909506; GW-528; Washington Double Head mule, copper