Reverse
Features just a partial list of Clay's lifetime achievements
Engraver: Charles Cushing Wright
Comment
Massive U.S. Mint Medal of "Pure California Gold," Struck for Presentation to Henry Clay, Lincoln's own "ideal of a great man," in Recognition of His Half Century of Public Service. The medal, presented to Clay in 1852, is 3.5 inches in diameter and approximately a half inch thick, containing nearly 30 ounces of gold. The dies were engraved by Charles Cushing Wright, the premier engraver of his time, who also created the large silver case in the form of a hunter's case pocket watch, designed to protect the medal's delicate proof finish. The reverse of the medal itself features just a partial list of Clay's lifetime achievements, while the silver case depicts the U.S. Capitol building as it appeared before the now-familiar dome was added, as well as the Clay monument and his famous Kentucky mansion, Ashland. Also included are the original handwritten vellum document which accompanied the presentation of the medal to Clay and the original velvet-lined case.
