In 1937, a proposal for a 50-cent coin to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Statehood of Washington was introduced in the House of Representatives. The commemorative coin was to carry the date "1939" as Washington became a state in 1889. The coin was sponsored by the Washington State Progress Commission. The proposal proved unsuccessful, however, and no coin was ever issued. (You can read more about it here:
Proposed Washington Statehood Commemorative Half Dollar.)
Just over 15 years later. a milestone event in Washington's history - the creation of the Washington Territory (the precursor to Statehood) - was celebrated with a commemorative medal marking the 100th anniversary of the Washington Territroy coming into existence.
A portrait of Isaac I. Stevens, the first Governor of the Washington Territory, is the primary design element of the medal's obverse. President Franlin Pearce appointed Stevens to the post. After serving as Territorial Governor for four years, he was elected to represent the Washington Territory in Congress. The Civil War broke out while he was in Congress, which led Stevens, a West Point graduate, to volunteer in the Union Army. Stevens was killed early in the War, at the Battle of Chantilly (Fairfax County, Virginia) on December 1, 1862; he was a Brigadier General at the time of his death and was leading one of two divisions under the command of Major General John Pope at the time.
The medal's reverse depicts a "Journey's End" scene with a pioneer family who has traveled to Washington via the Oregon Trail. The mother is presented holding her young child close in her arms, while the father figure stands next to her looking out over the land of their new home while leaning on/holding an axe with his right hand. The axe is meant to represent his coming task of cutting down trees to build the family's house and to start a new life. Also shown are a pair of tired oxen, resting after the long trek west.
James Alfred Wehn was the designer and sculptor of the medal. Per his bio at HistoryLink.org,
"James Wehn, a Seattle-based sculptor noted for his statue of Chief Seattle, sculpted figures and medallions depicting historically significant persons. His work is displayed across the state and as far away as Chicago and New York." Wehn was born in 1882 and died in 1973. You can read the full biography here:
James A. Wehn.
The medal was sponsored by the Washington Territorial Pioneers and the Spokane Coin Club; it was struck by Medallic Art Company of New York. Contemporary reports indicate that just 200 of the 2-3/4" bronze medals were struck. Orders for the medal were handled by the Seattle Coin Club; it was priced at $6.50 each plus $0.25 for postage.
1953 Washington Territory Centennial Medal
Posted 02/09/2022 07:40 am
