1797 (ca. 1816) Halliday Medal. Musante GW-57, Baker-70C. Bronze. Plain Edge. Plain, Beveled Rims. MS-64 BN (NGC). 54 mm. A handsome example of this perennially popular type in the Washingtoniana series. Satiny surfaces are richly toned in antique copper-brown, both sides with intermingled highlights of lighter rose-orange in isolated areas. As well, the medal exhibits vivid cobalt blue undertones when viewed with the aid of direct lighting. The design elements are sharply struck and crisp, the surfaces free of all but a few wispy blemishes that are easily overlooked in hand. The plain rims are slightly beveled, which was clearly part of the original finishing. A minor obverse planchet flaw (as made) outside the letter A in WASHINGTON is noted solely for accuracy, and it takes very little from the overall eye appeal of this pleasing specimen.<p>Though there are different opinions as to the precise vintage of the Halliday medal, we subscribe to the traditional timeline placing this circa 1816, and after the Sansom medal with which it roughly shares a design. Halliday produced a small series of medals circa 1812 to 1816 featuring famous persons, and some of them are of very similar size and loosely of similar style to that seen here. It is our belief that an earlier vintage (predating the Sansom issues, as has been proposed) is just too early for Hallidays known working dates. In any case, the Halliday medal has long been a classic of the Washingtoniana series and seems to be meeting with increasing demand in recent years.
