1918 Assay Commission Medal - JK-AC-62, Bronze, William Gibbs McAdoo

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,680 SP64 08-23-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1918 Assay Commission medal in bronze, cataloged as JK-AC-62, features Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo on the obverse, returning to the tradition of personal portraits after three years of the Treasury Seal design. McAdoo was one of the most influential Treasury Secretaries in American history — he had overseen the creation of the Federal Reserve System, organized the Liberty Bond campaigns that financed American participation in World War I, and served simultaneously as director general of the nation's railroads during the wartime government takeover. His portrait on the Assay Commission medal acknowledged his central role in the nation's financial infrastructure during its greatest crisis since the Civil War. McAdoo was also President Wilson's son-in-law, having married Eleanor Wilson in 1914 while serving in the cabinet. The bronze composition marks this as the standard version for commission member distribution.

Rarity Notes

JK-AC-62, bronze (AE) composition. Features Treasury Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo. Standard commission distribution. Produced during the final year of World War I.

Cross References

PCGS #972619; JK-AC-62; William Gibbs McAdoo; 1918 Assay Commission