(1875) Copper Medal GW-853, 2nd & 4th Obv Double Head Mule

Coin Details

Description

This copper medal cataloged as GW-853, struck from the second and fourth obverse dies, is a double-head mule combining two different Washington portraits, produced circa 1875. The "2nd & 4th Obv" designation means this medal pairs the second-generation Washington portrait die on one side with the fourth-generation portrait die on the other, creating a piece with Washington's likeness on both faces but in distinctly different artistic interpretations. Double-head mules were deliberately created by die sinkers for the collector market, as numismatists prized unusual die combinations that could not be found in standard production. These pieces function as comparative studies of Washington portraiture, allowing collectors to examine how different artists or die states rendered the same subject. The copper composition was standard for experimental or limited-production medal varieties. Double-head Washington mules represent the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of nineteenth-century American private medal production.

Rarity Notes

GW-853, copper. Double Head mule, 2nd & 4th Obverse dies. Deliberately created collector piece. Limited production.

Cross References

PCGS #658132; GW-853; Double Head mule, copper, 2nd & 4th Obv