1980 American Arts Commemorative Medallion - Marian Anderson

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,860 MS68 06-01-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1980 American Arts Gold Medallion featuring Marian Anderson is a half-troy-ounce gold piece produced under Public Law 95-630, the American Arts Gold Medallion Act. Marian Anderson (1897-1993) was selected as the first half-ounce honoree, recognizing her transcendent contributions to American music and her role as a civil rights pioneer. Anderson's 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial, arranged by Eleanor Roosevelt after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to allow her to perform at Constitution Hall because of her race, became one of the defining moments of the early civil rights movement. The obverse presents a three-quarter portrait of Anderson, capturing the dignity and bearing that characterized her public persona throughout a career spanning five decades. The inscription MARIAN ANDERSON and the date 1980 accompany the portrait. The reverse features Anderson in performance, standing at a microphone in the grand tradition of the concert stage, with the inscription HALF TROY OUNCE OF GOLD identifying the piece's precious metal content. At approximately 27mm in diameter and containing exactly one-half troy ounce of .900 fine gold, the Anderson medallion was the smaller of the two 1980 issues. The half-ounce format was intended to provide a lower price point for retail buyers, but like the full-ounce Grant Wood piece, the Anderson medallion struggled in the marketplace. Without legal tender status or face value, dealers were reluctant to stock the series, and the public showed limited interest in bullion products lacking sovereign guarantees. Anderson herself had received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 and a Congressional Gold Medal in 1977, making her appearance on the arts medallion a further recognition of her unique place in American cultural history.

Rarity Notes

Total mintage of the 1980 half-ounce Marian Anderson medallion was approximately 281,624 pieces. Significant quantities were melted from unsold Mint inventory. Surviving examples trade primarily for their gold content with modest numismatic premiums.

Cross References

PCGS #20500; NGC #724001; Public Law 95-630; Swoger D1980-2