1889 Assay Commission Medal - JK-AC-32, Bronze, Grover Cleveland

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS64BN 04-03-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1889 Assay Commission medal JK-AC-32 in bronze features the fourth and final first-term Grover Cleveland portrait, struck during the transition to Benjamin Harrison's administration. The medal production timeline meant Cleveland's image appeared on the 1889 medal despite Harrison's inauguration on March 4, as dies were prepared well in advance of the February commission meeting. This JK-AC-32 thus captures the liminal moment between two administrations, a recurring phenomenon in the Assay Commission medal series that provides collectors with a fascinating documentary record of presidential transitions. Cleveland's portrait on a medal distributed after Harrison had taken office carries the bittersweet quality of a leader depicted in the immediate aftermath of electoral defeat. The 1889 Assay Commission tested coins from 1888, a year of routine production at the Philadelphia Mint. The continuing output of Morgan silver dollars, gold eagles and double eagles, and the full range of base-metal minor coins kept the commission's testing mandate comprehensive. The bronze JK-AC-32 commemorates this final Cleveland-era commission with the dignity appropriate to a departing President.

Rarity Notes

JK-AC-32 (1889) in bronze (AE). Fourth "Grover Cleveland" portrait, the last before Harrison's inauguration.

Cross References

PCGS #512358; JK-AC-32; 1889 Assay Commission