The obverse of the medal bears a finely executed portrait of our new President while the reverse shows his seal of office with an appropriate inaugural legend.

The Official Medal is the work of the well-known sculptor, Charles L. Vickers. The Texas-born Vickers moved to the New York area where he undertook an extensive art education. He studied at the Art Students League, Frank Reily School of Art, Pratt Institute and the School of Visual Arts. In 1976, he relocated to Pennsylvania to join the staff of the Franklin Mint where he rose to the position of Senior Sculptor. In 1986, he resigned this position and opened his own studio.

In preparing for his portrait of Mr. Bush for the Official Medal, Mr. Vickers combed through over one thousand different images seeking to find just the right one. He hit paydirt when he discovered an Associated Press news photo of Mr. Bush at the Republican National Convention waving to the crowd. This image caught the "sincerity, honesty and integrity of the man" which Vickers saw in his face. Using this image as a reference point, the artist sculpted his medal. The result is an amazingly true portrait of Mr. Bush which clearly conveys those elements of character which Vickers meant to communicate. This medal will stand proudly with the other distinguished medals in the Official Inaugural Medal series.