(1960s) Medal FH-636, Yellow Brass Great Seal Centennial-Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 MS64 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This yellow brass restrike of the Great Seal Centennial medal, cataloged as FH-636, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Great Seal of the United States in 1782. The Great Seal, designed by Charles Thomson and William Barton after six years of deliberation by three congressional committees, features the iconic bald eagle with shield, olive branch, and arrows on the obverse and the unfinished pyramid with the Eye of Providence on the reverse. The original 1882 medals were produced by the U.S. Mint to mark this centennial; this restrike in yellow brass was produced in the 1960s era using original or reproduction dies. The FH-636 catalog number places it within the Fuld-Higby reference for U.S. Mint medals. The Great Seal remains the official emblem of the United States government and appears on the one-dollar bill, passports, and countless official documents, making the centennial of its adoption a milestone worth commemorating in medallic form.

Rarity Notes

Yellow brass restrike, FH-636. Later production from original design. More available than original 1882 medals.

Cross References

PCGS #525149; FH-636; Great Seal Centennial Medal, Yellow Brass Restrike