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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 5291809, member: 101855&quot;]<b>Warren G. Harding</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>1921</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>[ATTACH=full]1222182[/ATTACH] </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>A 1920 campaign button featuring Warren G. Harding and his running mate, Calvin Coolidge. This is a scarce item. Its counterpart which features Democratic candidates, James Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt, is the &quot;holly grail&quot; of campaign buttons. </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>[ATTACH=full]1222183[/ATTACH] </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Photos courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Designer </b>Darrell C. Crain, made by R. Harris and Company</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Diameter&nbsp; </b>70 mm</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Mintages&nbsp; </b>2, maybe 3 in gold, 6 in silver, unknown, no more 60 in bronze</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Notes:</b> Harding requested that his inauguration would be a very subdued affair. Many of the plans that had been in the works were scrapped, and the production of inauguration medals was curtailed. Expert dealer, H. Joseph Levine, estimated that 60 bronze medals were struck, but only 6 to 8 are known today. Your author had a chance to purchase an example in silver a few years ago. The piece was not quite Mint State, and the price was over $30,000.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1222184[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Unofficial Harding Inaugural Medal</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Given the rarity of the official Harding medal, some collectors opt to obtain this unofficial Harding inaugural piece to fill that slot in their sets. The Philadelphia Mint introduced this piece soon after Harding took office, which was consistent with past mint policy. Collectors often confuse these mint medals with the official inaugural medals.</p><p><br /></p><p>After Harding’s death in 1923, the mint paired the same obverse with a new reverse that noted his passing. The mint issued that variety for many years, which makes it far more common than this design. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b></b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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