1897 Assay Commission Medal - JK-AC-41, Silver, Grover Cleveland

Coin Details

Auction Record

$900 AU55 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1897 Assay Commission medal JK-AC-41 in silver features the final Grover Cleveland portrait, struck during the first year of William McKinley's presidency. The medal production timeline placed Cleveland's image on the 1897 medal despite McKinley's March inauguration, creating the customary transitional overlap between administrations. The silver JK-AC-41 marks the conclusion of Cleveland's remarkable two-part presence in the Assay Commission series. Across his non-consecutive terms, Cleveland appeared on medals JK-AC-29 through JK-AC-32 (1886-1889) and JK-AC-38 through JK-AC-41 (1894-1897), making him one of the most frequently depicted subjects in the series' history. The final silver striking provides a premium capstone to this extensive sub-collection. Cleveland left office having preserved the gold standard against determined opposition, a legacy that the McKinley administration would solidify with the Gold Standard Act of 1900. The silver medal bearing his departing portrait thus honors a President whose monetary policy convictions had directly shaped the institutional environment within which the Assay Commission operated.

Rarity Notes

JK-AC-41 (1897) in silver (AR). Final "Grover Cleveland" portrait, closing the second Cleveland sub-series. Silver strikings are scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #512436; JK-AC-41; 1897 Assay Commission