Nov 4, 2025 10:00 EST
Coins, Medals & Sports Memorabilia
5
c. 1789. Washington Before Boston Medal. Baker 47B, Betts-542, Musante GW-09-P1. Original. Plain Edge. 69mm. Bronze. About Uncirculated Details.
The first and among the most famous of the Comitia Americana medals, commissioned by the Continental Congress to commemorate notable military achievements in the Revolution, the Washington Before Boston medal celebrates General George Washington's expulsion of British forces from Boston. Using artillery appropriated from Fort Ticonderoga, Washington and the Continental Army took positions in Dorchester Heights in March 1776, forcing the British to withdraw over the course of ten days. Within days of the British evacuation, Congress voted to present Washington with a gold medal, the first medal authorized by that body.
Pierre Simon DuVivier's design, reproduced countless times in the two-and-a-half centuries since its creation, features a bust of Washington, based on Jean-Antoine Houdon's famous bust, on its obverse and depicts Washington and officers overlooking Boston Harbor with cannons on its reverse.
Though authorized in 1776, the medal would not become a reality for more than a decade. The exigencies of war and bureaucratic frictions delayed serious efforts at executing the medal to the mid-1780s, and dies were not completed until the spring of 1789. Washington's gold medals, and examples in silver and bronze, were produced later that year.
The offered example was struck at a very early state of the obverse die, with the characteristic die chip around the SE and die cuds below GE and MO just discernible and no sign of the twall under Washington's hair or the pit in front of his chin that developed as the die wore. Large pitting on the reverse on the rump of Washington's horse is the result of either planchet flaws or post-mint damage. Obvious signs of rubbing around these crater-shaped marks, and on a few other point on the medal, indicate rubbing at one time. This medal was burnished some time ago but has retoned. A few unfortunate marks on the reverse rims.
The Washington Before Boston Medal is among the most famous ever issued by the U.S. government and would be a prize for any American medal collector.
Early American History Auctions, Inc. Autographs, Coins, Currency, Americana, December 11th, 1999, Lot #26.
Sold for $2,420
Estimated at $4,000 - $6,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
The first and among the most famous of the Comitia Americana medals, commissioned by the Continental Congress to commemorate notable military achievements in the Revolution, the Washington Before Boston medal celebrates General George Washington's expulsion of British forces from Boston. Using artillery appropriated from Fort Ticonderoga, Washington and the Continental Army took positions in Dorchester Heights in March 1776, forcing the British to withdraw over the course of ten days. Within days of the British evacuation, Congress voted to present Washington with a gold medal, the first medal authorized by that body.
Pierre Simon DuVivier's design, reproduced countless times in the two-and-a-half centuries since its creation, features a bust of Washington, based on Jean-Antoine Houdon's famous bust, on its obverse and depicts Washington and officers overlooking Boston Harbor with cannons on its reverse.
Though authorized in 1776, the medal would not become a reality for more than a decade. The exigencies of war and bureaucratic frictions delayed serious efforts at executing the medal to the mid-1780s, and dies were not completed until the spring of 1789. Washington's gold medals, and examples in silver and bronze, were produced later that year.
The offered example was struck at a very early state of the obverse die, with the characteristic die chip around the SE and die cuds below GE and MO just discernible and no sign of the twall under Washington's hair or the pit in front of his chin that developed as the die wore. Large pitting on the reverse on the rump of Washington's horse is the result of either planchet flaws or post-mint damage. Obvious signs of rubbing around these crater-shaped marks, and on a few other point on the medal, indicate rubbing at one time. This medal was burnished some time ago but has retoned. A few unfortunate marks on the reverse rims.
The Washington Before Boston Medal is among the most famous ever issued by the U.S. government and would be a prize for any American medal collector.
Provenance:Early American History Auctions, Inc. Autographs, Coins, Currency, Americana, December 11th, 1999, Lot #26.
Auction: Coins, Medals & Sports Memorabilia, Nov 4, 2025
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Auction of Coins, Medals & Sports Memorabilia on November 4, 2025 Surpasses Expectations
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Featuring a Newly Discovered Hispanic Society Sorolla Medal in Silver that Achieved $5,748
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Consignments Art Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's auction of Coins, Medals & Sports Memorabilia on November 4, 2025 saw competitive bidding drive strong results and a sale total that surpassed expectations. Collectors and enthusiasts vied for a diversity of United States and World numismatic rarities from collections in the New York area and other regions of the country.
A newly discovered Hispanic Society of America Sorolla Medal sparked spirited bidding at the sale, soaring past its estimate of $250-500 to achieve a stunning $5,748. Presented to artist Cecilia Beaux in 1937, the medal is possibly a unique example struck in silver, rather than bronze. It was designed by Victor David Brenner--whose signature appears on the reverse--the Lithuanian-American sculptor best known for creating the Lincoln portrait on the U.S. cent first issued in 1909. Named for the Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla, whose likeness adorns the obverse, the medal was established in 1924, concidentally the year of Brenner’s death. It is awarded periodically to honor outstanding contributions to Hispanic arts and culture. The medal holds additional interest given the Hispanic Society’s proximity to the original American Numismatic Society building in West Harlem.
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Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
