(1921) Medal Harding/Coolidge Inauguration Bronze 70mm

Coin Details

Auction Record

$38,400 SP62 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This large 70mm bronze medal commemorates the 1921 inauguration of Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge. The impressive 70mm diameter places this among the larger inaugural medals, suitable for display in homes and offices. Harding won the 1920 election in a landslide with 404 electoral votes to Democrat James Cox's 127, campaigning on a promise to return the nation to "normalcy" after the upheavals of World War I and the Wilson administration. His running mate Coolidge, the governor of Massachusetts, had gained national fame for breaking the Boston Police Strike of 1919. The bronze composition was standard for inaugural commemoratives. Harding's presidency would be remembered for the Teapot Dome scandal and other corruption, though his administration also established the Bureau of the Budget and convened the Washington Naval Conference. Harding died on August 2, 1923 while on a tour of the western states, and Coolidge succeeded him. This inaugural medal documents the beginning of a presidency that, despite its scandals, represented the American public's desire for calm and stability after the turbulent Wilson years.

Rarity Notes

Large 70mm bronze inaugural medal from 1921. Harding/Coolidge inauguration. Large format presentation piece.

Cross References

PCGS #889483; Harding/Coolidge inauguration; March 4, 1921; 70mm bronze