(1883) Bronze Medal GW-981, ANS Washington Statue at Wall Street

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,440 MS66BN 11-26-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronze medal cataloged as GW-981 was produced by the American Numismatic Society (ANS) depicting the Washington statue at Wall Street, circa 1883. The statue in question is John Quincy Adams Ward's 1883 bronze of Washington on the steps of Federal Hall National Memorial on Wall Street — the site where Washington took the oath of office as the first president on April 30, 1789. The ANS, founded in 1858 and headquartered in New York, commissioned this medal to document a new public monument of major numismatic and historical interest. The Wall Street location connected Washington to the American financial system he helped establish, and the statue became one of Lower Manhattan's most recognizable landmarks. Bronze was the standard composition for ANS commemorative medals, which were distributed to members and sold through numismatic channels. This medal holds particular significance as a document of the statue's dedication and an official product of America's premier numismatic scholarly organization.

Rarity Notes

GW-981, bronze. ANS issue. Washington statue at Wall Street/Federal Hall. Collected by both ANS and GW specialists.

Cross References

PCGS #659535; GW-981; ANS Washington Statue Wall Street, bronze