1929 Medal Herbert Hoover Inaugural Bronze

Coin Details

Auction Record

$180 SP64 11-20-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This bronze inaugural medal commemorates Herbert Hoover's inauguration on March 4, 1929. Hoover entered the presidency with one of the most distinguished pre-presidential records in American history — he had organized massive food relief operations in Europe during and after World War I, earning the title "The Great Humanitarian," and served as an effective Secretary of Commerce under Harding and Coolidge. His inauguration took place during the peak of the Roaring Twenties prosperity, and his presidency was expected to usher in an era of continued economic growth and technological progress. Instead, the stock market crash of October 1929, just seven months after this inauguration, plunged the nation into the Great Depression — the worst economic catastrophe in American history. This bronze inaugural medal captures the optimism of March 1929, before the economic disaster that destroyed Hoover's presidency and his reputation. The irony of this hopeful inauguration followed by economic catastrophe makes Hoover's inaugural medals poignant artifacts of misplaced confidence.

Rarity Notes

Bronze inaugural medal from 1929. Herbert Hoover. Inaugurated at the peak of 1920s prosperity, seven months before the Crash. Historical significance enhanced by subsequent events.

Cross References

PCGS #800248; Herbert Hoover inauguration; March 4, 1929