General Tom Thumb – 1 Troy Ounce .999 Fine Silver Round

Explore the Famous Circus Sideshow Acts collection

Few stage names from nineteenth-century entertainment remain as recognizable as General Tom Thumb. Behind the name was Charles Sherwood Stratton, a performer whose career carried him from Barnum’s American Museum to international fame. This Intaglio Mint round presents his portrait in one troy ounce of .999 fine silver as part of the Famous Circus Sideshow Acts collection.

A Performer on an International Stage

Born in 1838, Stratton began his association with P. T. Barnum as a young child. Barnum promoted him under the grand title “General Tom Thumb,” creating a memorable public identity around a performer of unusually small stature.

His appeal was not simply a matter of appearance. The Barnum Museum’s study of contemporary correspondence describes character portrayals and the business of presenting Stratton as an actor. His European tour of 1844–1846 carried that act far beyond American audiences, showing the reach of an entertainment enterprise in an age of sea travel and printed publicity.

In 1863, Stratton married fellow performer Lavinia Warren. Their wedding became a major public event, and photographic portraits helped circulate their image. The Library of Congress preserves a later portrait of the couple, a reminder that their lives continued beyond the celebrated ceremony.

Stratton died in 1883, but the stage name endured. This round recalls a performer whose story belongs to the history of celebrity, promotion, and popular entertainment as much as to the sideshow.

Obverse Design

A portrait of General Tom Thumb fills the obverse, with “GENERAL TOM THUMB” above identifying the famous stage persona.

Reverse Design

“FAMOUS CIRCUS SIDESHOW ACTS” appears against a circus-tent background, with the hallmark along the lower circumference. The shared reverse connects the portrait to the other performers in the collection.

Specifications

• Weight: 1.00 troy ounce
• Thickness: 3.10 mm
• Purity: .999 fine silver
• Edge: Reeded
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated