No Date Bronze Medal J-PR-7, William H Harrison

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 MS62BN 03-25-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This undated bronze U.S. Mint medal of William Henry Harrison, cataloged as Julian PR-7, honors the ninth President of the United States, who holds the unhappy distinction of serving the shortest presidency in American history. Harrison took the oath of office on March 4, 1841, delivered the longest inaugural address in history at nearly two hours in cold, rainy weather without a hat or overcoat, developed pneumonia (by the understanding of the time, though modern medical analysis indicates enteric fever from contaminated White House water), and died on April 4, 1841, after just thirty-one days in office. William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) had a far more distinguished career before the presidency than his brief tenure might suggest. As governor of Indiana Territory, he negotiated treaties that acquired millions of acres of Native American land. His 1811 victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe against Tecumseh's confederacy made him a national hero, and his 1813 victory at the Battle of the Thames, where Tecumseh was killed, effectively ended British-Native American resistance in the Northwest. The campaign slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" propelled him to the presidency in 1840 in one of the first modern media-driven campaigns, complete with log cabin imagery and hard cider symbolism. Julian PR-7 places this medal early in the presidential medal sequence. The obverse captures Harrison's martial bearing — the last president born as a British subject before American independence. The undated bronze format ensured wide availability to the collecting public.

Rarity Notes

Standard undated U.S. Mint bronze presidential medal. Produced for ongoing public sale. Available in the numismatic market without significant difficulty.

Cross References

PCGS #517809; Julian PR-7