(1862) Brass Medal GW-489, 2nd Obv Headquarters, No. 2 White Plains

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS64 08-22-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This brass medal cataloged as GW-489, struck from the second obverse die, depicts Washington's headquarters "No. 2 White Plains," produced circa 1862. Washington established his headquarters at White Plains, New York, in October 1776 during the retreat from Manhattan following the British capture of New York City. The Battle of White Plains on October 28, 1776, was an indecisive engagement that nonetheless allowed Washington to withdraw the bulk of his army intact, preserving the Continental force for future engagements. The numbered headquarters series systematically documented Washington's movements through the New York and New Jersey campaigns that defined the critical early years of the war. The brass composition and second-obverse die state indicate this was part of a later production run within the series. White Plains would later become an important symbol of the early Revolution's desperate defensive campaigns, when Washington's ability to keep his army together despite repeated defeats proved as important as any battlefield victory.

Rarity Notes

GW-489, brass, 2nd Obverse. Headquarters No. 2, White Plains. Moderate scarcity within the headquarters series.

Cross References

PCGS #883389; GW-489; Headquarters No. 2 White Plains, brass, 2nd Obv