"1928" (c.1960) Medal Calvin Coolidge Inaugural Bronze

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 SP63 11-20-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This circa 1960 bronze medal depicts Calvin Coolidge and commemorates his March 4, 1925 inauguration as the thirtieth President of the United States. Coolidge had originally assumed the presidency on August 2, 1923 upon the death of Warren G. Harding, and won election in his own right in 1924 on a platform of fiscal conservatism and limited government. The obverse features a portrait of Coolidge rendered in the restrained style befitting the president known as "Silent Cal," whose laconic public demeanor belied sharp political instincts. The reverse carries inaugural commemorative inscriptions. This medal was produced decades after the actual inauguration, as part of a retrospective presidential series struck circa 1960. The bronze composition and commemorative nature place it among numerous privately issued presidential medals produced during the mid-twentieth century collecting boom when interest in presidential memorabilia surged. Coolidge's presidency oversaw the Roaring Twenties economic expansion, and his reputation has undergone periodic reassessment by historians who debate whether his laissez-faire policies contributed to the conditions that led to the Great Depression.

Rarity Notes

Retrospective issue struck circa 1960, not a contemporary inaugural piece. Bronze composition. Produced in modest quantities for the collector market. Available in the secondary market at moderate premiums.

Cross References

PCGS #800319; Calvin Coolidge 30th President; inaugurated March 4, 1925