Quick Facts

2005 George W. Bush
Official Inaugural Medal

Designer:
Gladys Gunzer

Medalist:
Medalcraft Mint,
Green Bay, Wisconsin

  * 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.

Commentary

George W. Bush
Forty-Third President of the United States

THE BUSH – CHENEY TYPE I INAUGURAL MEDALS

Those of you who read the numismatic press are probably aware of the various design changes that have been made to the official medal. Briefly, this is what happened:

1. Obverse and reverse designs were selected by the Medals Committee. The obverse design, by Gladys Gunzer, was a profile of Bush and Cheney facing left, while the reverse featured a displayed eagle perched on an American flag. About 7500 each of the 2 3/4” and 1 1/2” medals were struck by the Medalcraft Mint in anticipation of sale. These medals are now being referred to as “Type I Medals.”

2. Unknown to the Medals Committee and to the Medalcraft Mint, the official of the main inaugural committee who oversaw the approval of all officially licensed inaugural souvenirs, decided that his authority extended to the approval of the design of the official medal. (This was the first time in history that anyone other than members of the Medals Committee ever exerted any decision making authority with respect to the design of the official medal!) This gentleman professed to be dissatisfied with the selected design and initially demanded that both obverse and reverse designs be changed. This in spite of the fact that a total of 15,000 medals had already been struck.

3. After one false start in which a second obverse design (also by Gladys Gunzer) was approved and then quickly disapproved, the decision was made to strike a medal which bears the original obverse design and a new reverse displaying the Presidential Seal. To the experienced eye, it is obvious that this new reverse was not intended to be mated with the original obverse as the inaugural date, January 20, 2005, appears on both sides of the medal – a mistake the Medals Committee would never have made!

Related Inaugural Items

George W. Bush
Forty-Third President of the United States

Pretenders

George W. Bush
Forty-Third 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.

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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:

Select Another "United States Mint Presidential Series" Medal to view U.S. Mint Series - William McKinley, Memorial Reverse U.S. Mint Series - Theodore Roosevelt, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Theodore Roosevelt, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - William Howard Taft U.S. Mint Series - Woodrow Wilson, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Woodrow Wilson, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - Warren G. Harding, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Warren G. Harding, Memorial Reverse U.S. Mint Series - Calvin Coolidge, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Calvin Coolidge, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - Herbert Hoover U.S. Mint Series - Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Third Term U.S. Mint Series - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fourth Term U.S. Mint Series - Franklin D. Roosevelt, Memorial Reverse 1U.S. Mint Series - Harry S. Truman, First Term 1U.S. Mint Series - Harry S. Truman, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - Dwight D. Eisenhower, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Dwight D. Eisenhower, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - John F. Kennedy U.S. Mint Series - Lyndon B. Johnson, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Lyndon B. Johnson, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - Richard M. Nixon, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Richard M. Nixon, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - Gerald R. Ford U.S. Mint Series - Jimmy Carter U.S. Mint Series - Ronald Reagan, First Term U.S. Mint Series - Ronald Reagan, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - George Bush U.S. Mint Series - William Jefferson Clinton, First Term U.S. Mint Series - William Jefferson Clinton, Second Term U.S. Mint Series - George W. Bush

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Issue Specific Bibliography

2005 George W. Bush Inaugural