1893 Medal Eglit-116 Aluminum World's Columbian Expo

Coin Details

Auction Record

$288 MS65PL 12-21-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1893 aluminum medal, cataloged as Eglit-116 in Levine's reference, is a World's Columbian Exposition souvenir in the novel lightweight metal. The Eglit-116 design is one of many distinct types produced in aluminum for the fair, reflecting the popularity of this composition among a certain segment of the souvenir-buying public. Aluminum medals offered a combination of novelty value and practical lightness that appealed to visitors who were already accumulating substantial quantities of mementos during their fairground visits. The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition generated what was arguably the most prolific production of commemorative medals in American history. The sheer volume of distinct types — well over 400 cataloged by Levine alone, with additional unlisted varieties — exceeded anything produced for previous American expositions in Philadelphia (1876), New Orleans (1884-85), or the many smaller fairs and exhibitions held across the country. Aluminum Eglit-116 medals were part of this extraordinary outpouring of commemorative metalwork. The piece served its intended purpose as a portable, affordable keepsake that allowed ordinary Americans to carry home a tangible connection to the most spectacular public event most of them would ever attend. For the fifty-cent price of admission plus a few additional cents for souvenirs, a visitor could return home with a personal artifact of the White City.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce aluminum type. The Eglit-116 design in aluminum is less frequently encountered than the more common WCE medal types but is not among the rarest pieces in the series.

Cross References

Eglit-116; PCGS #659762