Macerated Currency
1909 President William H. Taft Macerated Currency Plaque Extremely Rare
1909-Dated Copyright, Macerated Currency Portrait Plaque of President William H. Taft (27th President of the United States from 1909"1913), Choice About Mint.
This exceedingly rare example of Political Commemorative Macerated Currency is round and measures just under 4" in diameter and 1/2" thick. The central design features an extremely large, raised high relief Bust Portrait of President Taft, shown with an embossed scroll above from which dangles two short wreaths. Taft is shown smiling underneath his trademark handlebar mustache and the legends "The Smile" and "That Won" flank the portrait. With a partial punch located above the head for potential use in wearing or display, as it was made. Trivial flaws inherent in the manufacturing process ((as made) affect some of the highest points and are barely worthy of mention. Overall, this specimen is virtually perfect and nearly as nice as on the day it was made. An original, fully intact, crisp label on the reverse reads: "Made of the U.S. Greenbacks redeemed and macerated by the U.S. Government at Washington, D.C. Estimated at $5,000." This is the finest and only the second example of two we have ever offered, the first sold in our EAHA Auction of August 23, 2003, Lot 904, (which was not as nice in quality), which sold for $1,035. Now being almost two decades later, this is another delightful opportunity for specialists in Macerated Currency and Political collecting fields.
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 " March 8, 1930) served as the 27th President of the United States (1909"1913) and as the tenth Chief Justice of the United States (1921"1930), the only person to have held both offices.
Taft was elected president in 1908, the chosen successor of Theodore Roosevelt, but was defeated for re-election by Woodrow Wilson in 1912 after Teddy Roosevelt split the Republican vote by running as a third-party candidate. In 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft to be Chief Justice, a position in which he served until a month before his death.