(1860s) Medal G. Washington, Baker-156

Coin Details

Description

This medal, cataloged as Baker-156, features a portrait of George Washington and dates to the 1860s, a period of intense patriotic medal production during and after the American Civil War. The Baker-156 designation places this piece within the extensive catalog of Washington medals compiled by William Spohn Baker in his 1885 reference work "Medallic Portraits of Washington." Baker's catalog, which remained the standard reference for over a century before being superseded by the Musante-Baker revision, documented hundreds of Washington medals, tokens, and related pieces produced from the colonial period through the late nineteenth century. This medal was produced during a time when Americans looked to Washington's example of national unity and selfless leadership as inspiration during the crisis of secession and civil war. Medal-makers in Philadelphia, New York, and other northern cities produced numerous Washington pieces that served as both patriotic statements and commercial products. The specific design elements of Baker-156 reflect the neoclassical aesthetic that dominated American medallic art during the mid-nineteenth century, with Washington's portrait rendered in a dignified, idealized style.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Baker-156 is an established variety in the Washington medal series but does not appear frequently in the marketplace. Condition varies considerably among surviving examples.

Cross References

Baker-156; Musante GW-152; PCGS #408830