Circa 1832 Birth Centennial medal by Wright and Bale. Original reverse. Hand ornamented rims. Musante GW-127A, Baker-74. Silver. AU-58 (PCGS).44.2 mm. 2.4 to 3.0 mm thick at the rims. 722.9 grains. Steel gray on the obverse with attractive light golden brown toning in the fields and a trace of steel blue over Washington’s head. The reverse is more richly toned with accents of vivid gold, rose, green and blue in the recesses seemingly intensified by gentle prooflike character in the fields. Close inspection reveals some tooling in the upper obverse, scratches over the WRIGHT and BALE mark and to the left of the neck. Other unique characteristics are given below in the discussion of the die state. Baker bought this important piece in the celebrated Bushnell sale and, outbidding William Sumner Appleton for it at $17.<p>This is the second medal struck in the sequence of the three presented here. The basic description of the reverse break is given in the description above, and it should be referred to as a base point. On this medal, the small arc that connects the acorn to the initial lump break at the top of the oak leaf has formed an extension of the main lump such that now there is a mass of raised metal connecting the rim, the top of the oak leaf and the acorn above. The connection to the rim also seems heavier. The extension into the wreath does not seem to have advanced, but this medal was carelessly made and is somewhat broadly double struck, so evidence of same could have been obscured.<p>The apparent carelessness with which this piece was made is coupled with curious treatment of the rims. This medal was struck on a much thinner planchet that presumably produced much lower relief rims. They were hand ornamented by a series of tiny circular punches on each side. On the reverse, the rim was then filed aggressively, removing most of this treatment. On the obverse this was done more gently so that most of the punch marks remain, though they are now mostly half-moons, making for an interesting visual effect. The edge is also planed. There is no way to know who did this work, but it is fair to say that it took quite a bit of effort, so it was someone who <em>cared</em> to. The medallist comes to mind as a prime candidate.Ex Charles I. Bushnell, S.H. and H. Chapman, June 1882, lot 1336; William Spohn Baker Collection, to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by bequest, November 15, 1897.
