(1861) Brass Medal GW-477, Oath of Allegiance

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,400 MS66 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This brass medal cataloged as GW-477 references the Oath of Allegiance, produced circa 1861 during the early months of the Civil War. The Oath of Allegiance became a critical instrument of Union loyalty during the conflict, required of government employees, military personnel, and eventually residents of occupied Confederate territory. Pairing Washington's portrait with the oath of allegiance theme reinforced the idea that loyalty to the United States government was loyalty to the principles Washington himself had established. Brass was a practical medium for these patriotic pieces, sturdy enough for pocket carry and warm in color. The GW-477 catalog number identifies this within the large group of Civil War-era Washington medals that used the first president's image to bolster Union morale and delegitimize secession. These medals served as wearable declarations of political allegiance during a period when public displays of loyalty life-or-death consequences.

Rarity Notes

GW-477, brass. Oath of Allegiance Civil War patriotic medal. Moderate scarcity.

Cross References

PCGS #784510; GW-477; Oath of Allegiance, brass