Circa 1832 Stuart Portrait Medal. Musante GW-84, Baker-129. White Metal. EF Details--Holed (PCGS).

44.1 mm. 460.5 grains. Pierced for suspension near 6 o’clock, allowing the medal to be upright when the wearer looked down and held it upward, similar to the arrangement of the suspension loops on ladies’ watches of the Victorian era, often worn pinned to the dress since watch pockets were not customary for women’s attire. This piercing might point to it having been the property of a lady, or perhaps suspended as a gentleman’s watch fob, which would be upright in the hand when grasped to pull a watch out. What is clear is that this was not in a collector’s hands at the outset, and it did some utilitarian service, albeit with the memory of Washington as a sentimental backdrop. The surfaces are a bit worn, but largely smooth, featuring only a few cuts and abrasions that one would expect for a used white metal piece. The surfaces are light pewter gray and the details remain pleasantly sharp. Though this is a fairly scarce medal, it is not that unusual for examples to be pierced. This is the ninth we have handled since 2006, and three of them have had piercings, one of which had been plugged. This suggests that these were probably sold in advance of or during one of the many public ceremonies marking Washington’s 100th Anniversary of birth and intended to be personal adornments. Sales seem to have been small however as, again, this is a fairly rare issue.

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from our (Stack’s) sale of the Herbert M. Oeschner Collection, September 1988, lot 1443; David Hirsch Collection; Presidential Coin and Antique’s sale of June 2011, lot 1119.