(1900) Bronze Medal Baker-R297, Washington Chapter 2

Coin Details

Auction Record

$110 MS64 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

The Baker-R297 medal in bronze depicts a design associated with Washington Chapter No. 2, one of the Masonic lodges that traced its traditions to George Washington's own membership in the fraternity. Washington was initiated into Freemasonry at the Fredericksburg Lodge in Virginia on November 4, 1752, and remained an active Mason throughout his life, serving as Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22 and presiding over the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the United States Capitol on September 18, 1793 in full Masonic regalia. The "R" prefix in the Baker catalog number indicates this is a rarity or variant not included in W.S. Baker's original 1885 catalog but added in subsequent revisions by later scholars. Baker's "Medallic Portraits of Washington" was the foundational reference for George Washington medals, and its numbering system remains in use alongside the more comprehensive Musante-Baker catalog that expanded and reorganized Baker's original work. The c.1900 dating places this medal in the period when Masonic organizations were experiencing strong growth in the United States, and Washington's Masonic connections were actively celebrated by lodges seeking to link their fraternal traditions to the most revered figure in American history. Bronze was the standard composition for lodge commemorative medals of this period.

Rarity Notes

Baker-R297 variant. Masonic lodge medals were typically produced in limited quantities for distribution to lodge members. Bronze composition indicates a standard commemorative issue rather than a presentation piece.

Cross References

Baker-R297; PCGS #657888; Washington Chapter No. 2