(1862) Brass Medal GW-497, 2nd Obv Headquarters, No. 10 Newburg

Coin Details

Auction Record

$204 MS64 08-22-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This brass medal cataloged as GW-497, struck from the second obverse die, depicts Washington's headquarters "No. 10 Newburgh," the final entry in the numbered headquarters series, produced circa 1862. The Hasbrouck House in Newburgh, New York, served as Washington's longest-tenured headquarters, from April 1782 through August 1783. It was at Newburgh that some of the Revolution's most critical non-military events occurred: Washington's rejection of proposals to make him king, his Newburgh Address defusing a potential military coup over unpaid wages, and his creation of the Badge of Military Merit — ancestor of the Purple Heart. The designation as No. 10, the final in the series, is fitting, as Newburgh was where Washington's military career effectively concluded before his farewell to the army and return to Mount Vernon. The complete headquarters series from No. 1 (Harlem) through No. 10 (Newburgh) constitutes a medallic narrative of Washington's wartime command spanning eight years.

Rarity Notes

GW-497, brass, 2nd Obverse. Headquarters No. 10, Newburgh. Final piece in the numbered headquarters series. Sought by series completists.

Cross References

PCGS #883408; GW-497; Headquarters No. 10 Newburgh, brass, 2nd Obv