(c.1860) Medal Satterlee-215 Bronze Franklin Pierce Residence

Coin Details

Auction Record

$180 MS64BN 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronze medal from circa 1860, cataloged as Satterlee-215, depicts the residence of Franklin Pierce. Pierce's family home was in Concord, New Hampshire, where he lived before and after his single presidential term (1853-1857). Pierce's presidency is generally rated among the least successful in American history, as his support for the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the proslavery Lecompte Constitution in Kansas alienated Northern voters and contributed to the collapse of the Democratic Party's national coalition. The Satterlee-215 catalog number places this well into the upper range of the presidential residence series, suggesting an extensive catalog. The bronze composition was consistent with the series standard. Pierce retired to Concord after his presidency and lived in relative obscurity, his reputation damaged by his association with the slavery controversy and his reported alcoholism. He died in 1869 as one of the most forgotten presidents in American history, though interest in his presidency has revived among historians studying the origins of the Civil War.

Rarity Notes

Bronze medal, circa 1860. Satterlee-215. Franklin Pierce residence. Presidential home medal series. Moderate scarcity.

Cross References

PCGS #803555; Satterlee-215; Franklin Pierce residence; Concord, New Hampshire