1893 Medal Eglit-36a White Metal 58mm World's Columbian Expo

Coin Details

Auction Record

$552 SP63 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1893 white metal medal is the larger 58-millimeter version of the Eglit-36a design from Levine's World's Columbian Exposition catalog. The substantial 58mm diameter places this piece among the larger souvenir medals produced for the fair, offering more surface area for design detail than the standard 40mm format. White metal provided an economical substrate for this larger format, keeping the retail price accessible despite the increased size. The Eglit-36a designation indicates a variant within the Eglit-36 family, which encompasses related designs struck in various metals and sizes for the 1892-1893 Columbian Exposition. The fair celebrated four hundred years since Columbus's first voyage and was held in Chicago's Jackson Park, where the White City's neoclassical buildings designed by firms including McKim, Mead & White and Richard Morris Hunt rose along lagoons and canals landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted. Larger white metal medals like this 58mm piece were sold at a premium over the smaller 40mm versions, though still at prices far below bronze or silver-plated alternatives. The increased diameter made these pieces suitable for display rather than pocket carry, and surviving examples in good condition suggest that many were indeed preserved as shelf or cabinet items rather than carried as everyday mementos.

Rarity Notes

Less common than the 40mm version due to larger size and higher original price point. White metal at 58mm is fragile and susceptible to bending, environmental damage, and edge nicks. Examples in undamaged condition command a premium.

Cross References

Eglit-36a; PCGS #679840