Circa 1857 Tomb of Washington medal by Smith and Hartmann. Musante GW-207, Baker-117. Silver. SP-63 (PCGS).64.1 mm. 1799.5 grains. A stunningly beautiful piece gently toned in blended light green, gold, rose, violet and blue on the obverse with substantial light gray silver showing through. The reverse exhibits a similar palette but in a more mottled arrangement. The fields on both sides are boldly reflective and serve as a perfectly contrasting background for the sharp and satiny devices, themselves frosty and lustrous. A few very faint hairlines will be detected under magnification and a faint reverse fingerprint is also seen, but these will be easily forgiven on this outstanding medal. Very rare, and especially so in silver. Our archives include two examples in bronze, one in white metal and none in silver. A complete set of three appeared in the Bushnell sale and sold to the Chapmans. It is not a stretch to imagine that those Philadelphia dealers might have sold the set to Baker a short time later, but unfortunately it might never be known with certainty. This is the Musante plate piece.Ex William Spohn Baker Collection, to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by bequest, November 15, 1897.
