(c.1960's) Medal FH-209 Bronze William G. McAdoo

Coin Details

Description

This circa 1960s bronze medal cataloged as FH-209 features William Gibbs McAdoo, the prominent politician and businessman who served as Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson from 1913 to 1918. McAdoo oversaw the creation of the Federal Reserve System, managed the Liberty Bond drives that financed American participation in World War I, and directed the U.S. Railroad Administration during the wartime nationalization of the railroads. He was also Wilson's son-in-law, having married the president's daughter Eleanor in 1914. The FH-209 catalog number places this medal in the 200-series, which in the Fuld-Higby system covers notable government officials and statesmen who were not presidents. The bronze composition and portrait style are consistent with the presidential series, allowing McAdoo's medal to complement a collection of Fuld-Higby presidential portraits. McAdoo twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination — in 1920 and 1924 — but was unsuccessful both times. McAdoo's role in establishing the Federal Reserve and financing World War I through innovative bond programs makes him a significant figure in American financial history. His Fuld-Higby medal provides a medallic portrait of a man whose Treasury Department tenure was among the most consequential in the department's history.

Rarity Notes

Fuld-Higby 200-series statesmen medals were produced in smaller quantities than the presidential series. FH-209 in bronze is scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #683564; FH-209 (Bronze); Fuld-Higby Statesmen Series