Here’s a neat little thing we found while cleaning in the Varnum Memorial Armory Museum. This very large medallion is an 1889 George Washington bronze inaugural centennial commemorative medal! A Skinner Auctions catalog described another example of this same medal:
George Washington Bronze Inaugural Centennial Medal, Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907), modeled by Philip Martiny (1858-1927), 1889, cast mold bronze medallion, the obverse depicting a profile bust of Washington wearing a Continental Army uniform, under the inscription ‘GEORGE WASHINGTON’ with the fasces of magistracy on the right, and center inscription ‘PATER PAT/ RIAE/MDCCL/XX/XIX’, surrounded by a border of thirteen stars; signed under the bust ‘PHILIP MARTINY MODELER DESIGN AND/COPYRIGHT BY AVGVSTVS SAINT GAVDENS’; the reverse depicting a spread wing American eagle with the inscription ‘TO COMMEMORATE THE INAUGURATION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON AS FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AT NEW YORK APRIL XXX (30th), MDCCLXXXIX (1789), BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMITTEE ON CELEBRATION NEW YORK, APRIL XXX (30th), MDCCCLXXXIX (1889).,’ the lower left depicting the New York State coat of arms, bordered with thirty-eight stars, diameter is 4 1/2 inches.
