NGC certifies President William Henry Harrison’s Congressional Gold Medal

A November Sedwick auction is putting a spotlight on the medal, which was awarded to Harrison for his valor in the War of 1812.

Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) is proud to have certified one of the most-cherished medals known to numismatics: A Congressional Gold Medal that was awarded to William Henry Harrison, who served as the ninth president of the United States. This great rarity is among hundreds of NGC-certified coins and medals in Sedwick’s Treasure Auction 34. Bidding is already underway for the sale, which will be held November 2-3, 2023.

With an estimate of $500,000 to $1 million, the (1824) William Henry Harrison Congressional Gold Medal is graded NGC MS-60 PL (lot 1609). The obverse shows Harrison in uniform, while the reverse shows the goddess Victory standing amid war trophies. As a general in the War of 1812, Harrison led American forces against the British and their Native American allies in the Battle of the Thames.

A turning point in the War of 1812, the battle occurred on October 5, 1813, on Canadian soil, about 50 miles east of Detroit. Shawnee leader Tecumseh was killed, and his British allies lost control of southwestern Ontario. Harrison was later elected president of the United States in 1840 but served only a month before dying.

Most of the earliest Congressional Gold Medals were struck for heroes of the War of 1812. However, only a few of them have survived and are available to the collecting community. This particular example weighs 241.64 grams, the equivalent of nearly 7.8 troy ounces. Its diameter of 65 millimeters is nearly twice that of a Morgan dollar. It is pedigreed to Harrison himself.

Other NGC-certified highlights include:

• a Costa Rica 1873 GW gold 20-pesos graded NGC MS-63 (lot 1251), with an estimate of $80,000 to $160,000.
• a Colombia 1770NR VJ eight reales graded NGC MS-63 and pedigreed to the Toulemonde Collection (lot 1006), with an estimate of $50,000 to $100,000.
• a Colombia 1759NR JV eight reales graded NGC AU-55 and pedigreed to the Toulemonde Collection (lot 1005), with an estimate of $35,000 to $70,000.
• a Peru 1710L H eight escudos graded NGC MS-63 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 36), with an estimate of $25,000 to $50,000.
• a Bolivia 1736P E eight reales — Heart Cut graded NGC AU Details (lot 857), with an estimate of $25,000 to $50,000.
• a Peru 1704L H eight escudos graded NGC MS-62 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 34), with an estimate of $20,000 to $40,000.
• a Peru 1713L M eight escudos graded NGC MS-63 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 38), with an estimate of $20,000 to $40,000.
• a Peru 1705L H eight escudos graded NGC AU-58 and pedigreed to the 1715 Fleet (lot 35), with an estimate of $20,000 to $40,000.

All estimates are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol represents U.S. dollars.

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