1800 Washington Funeral medal. Funeral Urn. Musante GW-70 (Dies 3-C2), Baker-166A. Silver. EF-40 (PCGS). Neatly pierced for suspension as issued. Pleasing medium gray with soft golden overtones near the centers. Deeper russet and bluish steel gray are seen closer to the rims. Nicely struck with good definition throughout save for just a trace of softness at HE. Scattered tiny marks as usual for one of these beloved medals that were intended to be worn and displayed as memorials to the recently deceased Washington. These were produced in Newburyport, Massachusetts by the well-known engraver Jacob Perkins and are believed to have been distributed at or for the civic funeral procession held in Boston. However, there were numerous civic processions arranged for nearby cities, and these medals might well have figured into more than one official event, as numerous die combinations are known suggestive of a fairly large output. Still, they are probably just about a desirable today as they were in 1800, as no offering ever goes unnoticed and the values seem to have progressively climbed over the last number of years. This is a particularly pleasing specimen and desirable grade.
