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Historical Commentary
Medals Often Mis-represented as Official
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Quick Facts

1997 William Jefferson Clinton
Official Inaugural Medal

Designer:
Don Everhart II

Medalist:
Medallic Art Company
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Varieties Struck

Dusterburg*
Number

MacNeil**
Number

Alloy

Diameter

Mintage

OIM 25G70

WJC 1997-1

Gold

70mm

1

OIM 25G27

WJC 1997-2

22k Gold

27mm

110

OIM 25S70

WJC 1997-3

Silver

70mm

--

OIM 25S63

WJC 1997-4

Silver

63mm

1,750

OIM 25B70

WJC 1997-5

Bronze

70mm

18,000

Three Piece Sets

22k Gold
Silver
Bronze

27mm
63mm
70mm

100

  * Dusterberg, Richard B.; The Official Inaugural Medals of the Presidents of the United States ; Cincinnati, Ohio; Medallion Press; 1971

** MacNeil, Neil; The President's Medal 1789 - 1977; New York, New York; Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. /Publisher in association with the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian; 1977

** Levine, H. Joseph; Collectors Guide * Presidential Inaugural Medals and Memorabilia; Danbury, Connecticut; Johnson & Jensen; 1981

** Note: Dusterberg's book published in 1971 ended with the 1969 Nixon Inaugural Medal, MacNeil's book with the 1977 Jimmy Carter medal, and Levine's book with the 1981 Reagan medal. In his book Levine choose to merge the two numbering systems on the 1981 Reagan medal, however here we will continue the traditional Dusterberg and MacNeil numbers.

Artist & Medalist Bios

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Commentary

William Jefferson Clinton
Forty-Second President of the United States

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Pretenders

William Jefferson Clinton
Forty-Second President of the United States

There are many individual medals and presidential medal series, which are quite well done and very collectable in their own right, that are often mistaken for or misattributed as "official" inaugural medals. This phenomenon can be seen readily in the descriptions of many of these medals when they appear in online auctions. The official medal, illustrated above, should match the auction item exactly before warranting a bid at official medal prices. Great, now we know the lot is misattributed but what is it? This section will illustrate some of these medals to help new collectors distinguish between the "official" and "unofficial" and to introduce all collectors to these interesting medals. Hopefully, some will be spared the expensive lessons I have seen so many unaware collectors make in online auctions and others will be inspired to expand their collecting interests to include these medals.



United States Mint Presidential Series
Stock Medal #
3 inch (76mm) "High-Relief" Bronze

Designer (Obverse/Reverse):

Other Sizes Struck:
Stock Medal #
1-5/16 inch "coin-relief" bronze

Interesting Notes:

Pretender Identification Tip:


U.S. Mint Stock Medal # 14x

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Issue Specific Bibliography

1997 William Jefferson Clinton Inaugural

  •  --------- ; Clinton Inaugural Medal Available; Coin World, Amos Press, Sidney, Ohio; Volume 37 Issue 1916, December 30, 1996, page 1; illus.
  •  --------- ; Clinton Inaugural Medal Readied; Numismatic News, Krause Publications,Inc., Iola, Wisconsin; Volume 45 Number 52, December 24, 1996, page 4; illus.
  •  --------- ; Inaugural Medal Struck in Gold; Numismatic News, Krause Publications,Inc., Iola, Wisconsin; Volume 46 Number 1, January 7, 1997, page 1; illus.

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Presidential Coin & Antique Company

Coin-n-Medal Collector's Asylum

 

ã Copyright David W. Boitnott 2008