1921 Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge Inaugural Medal. Silver. 69 mm. By Darrell C. Crain. Dusterberg HIM-S70, MacNeil WGH-1921-2. Specimen-63 (PCGS).
Bust left of former Marion, Ohio newspaper publisher and U.S. Senator Harding, positioned dramatically off-center toward the right, with inscription INAVGVRATION/ MARCH/ FOVRTH/ 1921. <strong>Rev:</strong> Standing chiton-clad Liberty supporting the Mace of the Senate and holding rolled-up document, at right are the names and titles of the incoming president and vice president
A gorgeous example with glossy surfaces and original patina throughout. The lavender-grey complexion blooms with a colorful iridescence beneath a light, displaying blended golden and violet shades. The strike is impressively sharp and perfectly centered. File marks at the rim are as-issued and most obvious at the right reverse border. This piece is an exceptional rarity among United States medals and is certainly the holy grail of the Presidential Inaugural series.
The Republican victory over Democratic contenders James M. Cox and Franklin Delano Roosevelt in November 1920 was to have been celebrated with "the most dazzling celebration in the memory of the present generation." This event was to be directed by Washington Post publisher Edward "Ned" McLean and his heiress spouse Evalyn. Campaign denunciations of Woodrow Wilsons supposed governmental extravagance, surviving asceticism from the First World War and the sudden lurch of the nations economy into a vicious post-war Depression derailed the planned extravaganza. Nevertheless, the McCleans offered their own lavish private hospitality, which extended to the striking of this Inaugural Medal in very small quantities by R. Harris & Co. of Washington.
While not as famous as the 1905 Roosevelt inaugural medal by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the medals of Warren G. Hardings 1921 inauguration are exponentially more rare and each appearance is a significant numismatic event. Fewer than 10 are thought to survive in silver and most are held tightly in private collections. We have not handled a silver example since April 1986 when we sold the collection of David W. Dreyfuss, the present collectors brother. More recently, we offered a bronze example in our March 2011 Baltimore sale which brought $17,250 and we expect even strong interest in this silver piece.From the Edmund W. Dreyfuss Collection.
