Funeral Medals
BaseAbout This Coin
Medals produced to commemorate the death of George Washington on December 14, 1799. As the nation mourned its first president, numerous memorial pieces were struck in various metals, ranging from simple funeral pennies in tin to elegant gold medals. The most recognizable design features a funeral urn on the reverse. These were distributed at memorial services and processions held across the country in early 1800, and they represent some of the earliest examples of American commemorative medallic art. The gold funeral skull medal (GW-71A) is among the rarest and most valuable of all Washington pieces.