(ca. 1859) Bronze Medal GW-59 - Sansom - First Reissue

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as Baker 72 and Musante GW-59, this bronze first reissue of the Sansom Medal was produced circa 1859 from the original dies created for the initial 1806-07 production. Joseph Sansom, a cultivated Philadelphia merchant with strong connections to the city's artistic and intellectual community, commissioned this medal featuring what is widely regarded as one of the finest and most naturalistic Washington portraits in the medallic format. The Sansom Medal design captures Washington with a sensitivity and directness that distinguishes it from the more idealized or martial portraits found on other Washington medals, and its artistic reputation has made it consistently popular among collectors for over two centuries. The first reissue is distinguishable from the original 1806-07 production by die state analysis — the dies show wear and surface changes consistent with storage and reuse after an interval of approximately fifty years — and from later restrikes by exhibiting less die deterioration than subsequent generations of strikings. Scarce compared to later restrikes that were produced in larger quantities, the first reissue occupies a valued middle position for collectors: more available than extremely rare original strikings but closer in die state quality to the original production than subsequent restrikes from increasingly worn dies. The Sansom Medal's enduring artistic reputation ensures sustained collector demand across all die states and reissue generations.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. First reissues are less common than later restrikes.

Cross References

Baker 72; Musante GW-59