 1801 Thomas Jefferson Inaugural Medal. J.PR.2, Witham plate 14. Silver. 45.5 mm. 4.0 - 4.5 mm. thick. 745.5 gns. By John Reich. Choice Brilliant Proof. Good, rich coin silver gray color with light iridescent blue and pale champagne and rose toning near the rims. The fields still show some flash in an angled light. The obverse shows Jefferson's bust facing left in a classic pose immediately recognizable as Jefferson's. The reverse shows the goddess of wisdom placing a copy of the Declaration of Independence on the altar of the Constitution as an eagle brings a victory wreath to the proceedings. The reverse inscription reads in part UNDER HIS WING IS PROTECTION. Rare: the exact number struck and sold to the public in 1801 was not recorded but it is known that these medals were very popular with the public for whom they were made. The cataloguer knows of only 12 of these in silver.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
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