Undated (ca. 1832) Tinsmith Medal. Uniface. Tin. 41.6 mm. Musante GW-138, Baker-161. Very Fine, or better.This crudely produced piece is seldom offered to collectors, Musante (2016) noting that only five or six examples are known. They were struck on the back of the tin-plate workers wagon in the 1832 George Washington Centennial Parade in Philadelphia, and were thrown into the crowd in much the same way that Mardi Gras doubloons are today. Reportedly the dies were engraved into the head of a hammer so the pieces could be easily struck as the wagon traveled through the parade route. Apparently more than one "die" was prepared, as this type is known in some slight variations. The present example, struck in tin, shows little actual wear, and the thin uniface planchet has a dark gray finish with silver gray highlights around the portrait and the legends. The surfaces exhibit some microscopic pebbling, which is a condition to be expected on items of this age and in this fabric. At least equal to any of the three examples illustrated in Musante.From the Ralph A. Edson Collection.
