Coin of the Issue: 1799 (1800) George Washington Funeral Medal, PCGS MS65

Few non-coin numismatic treasures are as rare and fascinating as this American treasure heading to auction via Stack’s Bowers Galleries. Hearkening back to the person many consider the “Father of His Country,” this medal honors the memory of George Washington, the Revolutionary War general who became the first president of the United States. Known as a Washington Funeral Medal, this exonumia memento was created as a tribute to the Founding Father in the months after his death.

Millions grieved when George Washington died on December 14, 1799, at the age of 67. Perhaps his single greatest living legacy is the young nation he helped establish. Yet, amid the promise and hope of the fledgling United States was the gaping hole left by his passing. As news of Washington’s death spread through the nation over the next weeks, tributes and memorials arose, including the creation of various medals depicting the fallen American hero. Among these, the Washington Funeral Medals of the Urn and Skull and Crossbones types, created by Massachusetts inventor and metalworker Jacob Perkins, became the most popular.

Not as often seen is Perkins’ oval-shaped, uniface Funeral Medal, intended for women to wear encased in a locket or other jewelry setting. The featured example is magnificent, completely intact, and encased in original jewelry housing. This Washington Funeral Medal was originally advertised with the headline “FOR THE LADIES” and described as, “A new impression of General Washington […] in the form of a miniature, calculated for the ladies and may be worn in any common size locket. Considered by those acquainted with him a very striking likeness; executed in gold, at the low price of a dollar and fifty cents.”

These oval-shaped Washington Funeral Medals, with their uniface design and gorgeous gold finish, were intended for encasement within a jewelry setting. The fact that any of these pieces survive, regardless of condition, is itself a numismatic miracle. But the exceptional state of preservation in which this piece has been lovingly kept for more than 220 years seemingly defies plausibility, let alone probability. This type of Washington Funeral Medal, with its oval shape and gold composition, were rare to begin with, and with its jewelry housing rarer still. Fewer than six are believed to exist; one survived until the mid-20th century, when the owner broke the jewelry housing to scavenge the gold within. Indeed, the piece offered by Stack’s Bowers Galleries is substantially rarer than even the “King of American Coins,” the 1804 Draped Bust Dollar, with its 15 known examples.

An unlikely survivor against the perilous hands of time, this exquisite Washington Funeral Medal in its original jewelry housing grades a remarkable PCGS MS65. It is a gem among gems, a piece of virtually perfect quality and vintage character, cataloged by expert scholars as “GW-75, Baker-169.” The pendant features glass faces and a gilt brass frame measuring 44.8 millimeters in diameter, with the medal itself centered against a dark fabric background and enveloping enamel-gilt border with 16 stars and 16 circles. The medal is believed to have been untouched by human hands since shortly after it was minted in 1800.

It serves as one of the last specimens of its kind, with four examples ever having been numerically graded; four others are holed, with a further four impounded in institutions and thus inaccessible to private collectors. Another example exists in a book. But this tells only part of the survivorship story. One must also understand that the rarity of a piece such as this is inherent in the fact that gold medals of the time were rare from the onset. Few were ever made.

Furthermore, the oval-shaped design of this piece tells another story: it was patently designed for women in a form that would have been seen by many at the time as “feminine,” with its terrific detail and delicate features. When most medals were being issued for purchase by men or for cabinet display, this piece was created as a wearable accessory by women mourning Washington’s death. It is categorically unique.

It stands to reason that this piece has multiple audiences today as a collectible item. While it will pique the interest of individuals who enjoy owning “trophy rarities” it would just as well find a natural home in the collections of numismatists. It also appeals to other groups. Chief among these is the body of collectors who pursue rare jewelry. Then there are collectors of Washingtoniana, the society of collectors who pursue any and all memorabilia relating to the life and times of George Washington.

Yet, this remarkable Washington Funeral Medal in its lovely jewelry housing transcends the boundaries of marketplace settings. It belongs to the sacred realm of national treasures – rare, early federal-era artifacts that tell the magnificent story about the birth and infancy of the United States. It’s therefore little wonder that the plurality of surviving examples is homed in museums and institutions. This offering may represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for someone to become the curator of this extraordinary piece of American history.