1889 Bronze Medal GW-1136, Saint Gaudens Inaugural Centennial Badge

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 MS64BN 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1889 bronze medal GW-1136 is the Saint-Gaudens Inaugural Centennial Badge, designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the most celebrated American sculptor of the Gilded Age. Saint-Gaudens was commissioned to create a commemorative badge for the 1889 centennial, producing a design of exceptional artistic quality that elevates this piece above the typical commercial souvenir. Saint-Gaudens's involvement gave this badge artistic significance comparable to his later work on United States coinage. The sculptor would go on to design the famous $20 Double Eagle and $10 Indian Head Eagle for President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907, but his 1889 Washington badge demonstrates his medallic talents nearly two decades earlier. Bronze composition indicates the standard striking. The Saint-Gaudens attribution makes GW-1136 one of the most artistically significant pieces in the entire Musante-Baker catalog.

Rarity Notes

Bronze. Designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. One of the most artistically important Washington medals.

Cross References

Musante-Baker GW-1136; PCGS #676524; Saint-Gaudens, Inaugural Centennial