1911 Assay Commission Medal - JK-AC-55, Silver, William H. Taft

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,680 SP64 03-29-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1911 Assay Commission medal in silver, cataloged as JK-AC-55, features President William Howard Taft in the second year of his appearance on the series. The silver composition identifies this as a limited presentation piece for senior commission members and Treasury officials. Taft's second year in office saw the continuation of Progressive Era policies, though his more cautious approach was already straining his relationship with Theodore Roosevelt and the progressive wing of the Republican Party. The Assay Commission medal program during this period represented one of the few constants in American monetary policy — regardless of political turmoil, the annual assay proceedings continued to verify that the nation's coins met their statutory specifications. The silver version of the 1911 medal is particularly scarce, as precious metal Assay Commission pieces were typically produced in quantities of fewer than two dozen.

Rarity Notes

JK-AC-55, silver (AR) composition. Very limited mintage. Second Taft portrait in the series. Silver Assay Commission medals from this era rarely appear at auction.

Cross References

PCGS #972600; JK-AC-55; William H. Taft; 1911 Assay Commission