1932 Brass Medal Baker-925B, Wakefield Restored

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 MS63BN 03-23-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1932 medal Baker-925B in brass commemorates the restoration of Wakefield, George Washington's birthplace in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The Wakefield restoration was a significant project of the 1932 bicentennial celebrations, as preservationists sought to rebuild Washington's birth home (which had burned in 1779) based on archaeological and historical evidence. The brass composition provides a golden appearance appropriate for a celebratory bicentennial piece. The Wakefield restoration connected the bicentennial to Washington's physical origins and the Virginia plantation world in which he grew up. Baker-925B documents the historic preservation dimension of the 1932 bicentennial, complementing the ceremonial and commercial aspects of the celebration. Washington's image was used on medals and tokens throughout the nineteenth century by organizations, businesses, and individuals seeking to associate their activities with the prestige and patriotic symbolism of the nation's founding father.

Rarity Notes

Baker-925B. Brass. Wakefield Restored bicentennial medal.

Cross References

Baker-925B; PCGS #688166; Wakefield Restored