Die-Pressed Wooden Medals & Plaques of the 1876 Centennial Exposition
By Dr. Donald G. Tritt
ANA Library Catalog No. RM30.T1

This exhaustive, 40-page catalog - the definitive work on the topic - features high-quality obverse/reverse photo groups of all 27 die-pressed wooden medals and plaques issues for the 1876 Centennial Exposition. In addition, each piece is accompanied by a detailed description and account of its history, with citations, documentation and a rarity scale.

Starting with the September 1875 issue no. 7 of The Coin Circular (edited by G. A. Gillingham, Titusville, Pennsylvania) andcontinuing for four subsequent issues, John W. Hasetine of 1225 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, first announced sale of six "Centennial Medals, Carvedin Solid Walnut. Small Medals 2 c inches, Large Medals 3 inches - in diameter. Price, $1.50 per box." The term "carved" was used here even thoughHaseline knew these medals were pressed. One month later his advertisement in the AJN would describe these medals as "struck." Three years later, J.W. Scott & Co. advertised this same set in The Coin Collectors' Journal for $1. John W. Haseltine (1838-1925) was born in Philadelphia wheremost of his life was involved in the commercial aspects of coin collecting, except for a short ten year stint late in life as a stock broker. To myknowledge Haseltine was the only dealer to specifically advertise sale of wooden Centennial medals.

At the October 1, 1875 meeting of the Boston Numismatic Society, Henry H. Holland exhibited two wooden medals showing the head of Washington. I believe this was the first public appearance of the rare small head Washington medal in wood 1876 being shown alongside the large head Washington medal in wood 1876

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