(c.1841) Medal GW-164 Silver Tyrant Alcohol-Holed

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,120 MS62 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

A silver medal cataloged as Musante GW-164, part of the "Tyrant Alcohol" temperance series produced circa 1841, notable for being holed for suspension. The hole indicates this medal was worn as a personal statement of temperance commitment, a common practice among temperance society members who displayed their pledge publicly. The obverse carries Washington's portrait, enlisting the Father of the Nation as a symbol of moral virtue and self-discipline for the temperance cause. The reverse denounces the tyranny of alcohol with text and imagery characteristic of the movement's visual propaganda. Silver strikings of temperance medals are considerably rarer than their copper counterparts, as the higher metal cost limited production. The holing, while reducing numismatic grade, enhances the historical significance by demonstrating actual use as a temperance badge.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Silver temperance medals are seldom seen; holed examples confirm period use as personal temperance pledges.

Cross References

Musante GW-164; Baker-328 (related); Tyrant Alcohol series