(ca. 1850) Silver Medal GW-25 - Fronrobert

Coin Details

Description

Produced by the Parisian firm of Fronrobert circa 1850, this silver medal cataloged as Baker 37 and Musante GW-25 features a portrait of George Washington and demonstrates the enduring European fascination with the American founding father as a universal symbol of democratic governance. French interest in Washington was deeply rooted in the Franco-American alliance of the Revolutionary War, and Parisian medal firms like Fronrobert maintained a steady output of Washington portraits throughout the nineteenth century for both the French and American collector markets. The silver composition marks this as a premium collector piece, struck in a precious metal that elevated it above the base-metal versions typically produced for wider distribution. Fronrobert's medallic work is characterized by the refined engraving traditions of the Paris Mint school, where die cutters trained in techniques descended from the great French medallists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The circa 1850 dating places this medal's production during the height of the transatlantic numismatic trade, when American collectors actively sought European-made Washington medals to complement their holdings of domestically produced Washingtonia. Rare in silver, Fronrobert Washington medals appear infrequently at auction and are sought by collectors specializing in both the Washington medallic series and the broader field of nineteenth-century European commemorative medals depicting American subjects.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Silver medals from Fronrobert are scarce.

Cross References

Baker 37; Musante GW-25