Among 20th-century Inaugural medals, the bronze Medallic Art Company 1925 Calvin Coolidge medal is considered one of the rarest and most desirable. It ranks up there with the very rare Warren G. Harding 1921 Inaugural medal (of which just nine specimens can be accounted for) and Teddy Roosevelt’s 1905 Inaugural medal, which was designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and modeled by Tiffany & Co. (of which 125 pieces were struck).
Just 75 bronze 1925 Coolidge Inaugural medals were struck privately by the Medallic Art Company, most of which have been lost to time and circumstances. Indeed, the Coolidge medal in our upcoming Baltimore auction is nearly as rare as the 1921 Harding medal, though only deeply involved specialists are privy to that knowledge. The most recent appearance of a 1925 Coolidge Inaugural medal was in Joe Levine’s June 2011 Presidential Coin and Antique sale as lot 352, which realized $20,700 when the bidding ended; it was nearly 10 years prior to that offering when Levine sold his last example!
Considered the second-rarest of all 20th-century Inaugural medals behind just the 1921 Harding issue, we anticipate a great deal of attention will be directed at this 1925 Calvin Coolidge medal when it crosses the auction block next week. It is graded Choice Mint State and displays beautiful honey and caramel-toned bronze surfaces with nuances of rose in the fields. If you want to add this classic issue to your holdings, we suggest you hold your bidding paddle up to the bitter end.
