1801 Jefferson Inaugural Medal Tribute – A Presidency and a Founding Ideal
This 2 troy ounce .999 fine silver round recalls a medal celebrating Thomas Jefferson’s first presidential inauguration and the anniversary of American independence. A presidential portrait on one side and an allegorical figure on the other connect the events of 1801 with the founding documents named in the design. This is a modern 39 mm tribute to the historical medal.
The Medal Behind the Tribute
The Metropolitan Museum of Art attributes the 1801 inauguration medal to Johann Mathias Reich, the German-born engraver also known as John Reich. Jefferson took office on March 4, 1801, following a bitterly contested election. Monticello describes his first inaugural address as an effort to seek unity and reconciliation after that division.
The reverse inscription looks back to July 4, 1776, the date associated with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. In 1801, that founding moment was twenty-five years in the past. Pairing it with Jefferson’s inauguration links the author and statesman’s earlier role to his new presidential office, making the medal a compact statement about continuity between the Revolution and the government that followed.
Portrait and Allegory
The obverse shows a left-facing portrait of Jefferson, surrounded by “TH. JEFFERSON PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. 4 MARCH 1801.” The inscription identifies both the office and the occasion.
The reverse depicts Minerva, representing Liberty in the design, holding the Declaration of Independence laid upon the Constitution. “UNDER HIS WING IS PROTECTION” runs around the upper circumference, while “TO COMMEMORATE JULY 4 1776” appears below. The documents and classical figure give the reverse a symbolic role alongside the more direct portrait on the obverse.
Specifications
- Weight: 2 troy ounces
- Purity: .999 fine silver
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Thickness: approximately 6 mm
- Edge: Reeded
- Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated
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