US Mint Releases Warren G. Harding Presidential Silver Medal

At noon ET, the U.S. Mint releases its newest presidential precious metal tribute, the Warren G. Harding Presidential Silver Medal, honoring the nation’s 29th president.

Struck at the Mint’s Philadelphia facility from one ounce of .999 fine silver, the collectible continues the Presidential Silver Medal Program, which began in 2018 to honor former U.S. presidents.

Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Corsica, now Blooming Grove, Ohio. As a young man, he tried several occupations, including teaching and insurance, and even considered studying law. He later joined two partners in buying the Marion Star, a small-town newspaper he spent years building into a successful publication with help from his wife, Florence, whom he married on July 8, 1891.

Harding’s first political office came in 1899, when he was elected to the Ohio Senate. He later served as Ohio’s lieutenant governor and as a U.S. senator before assuming the nation’s highest office on March 4, 1921. Harding was popular while in office and won praise for his support of international peace efforts, but his presidency ended abruptly when he died in 1923 at age 57 following a heart attack. After his death, scandals tied to members of his administration tarnished his reputation.

U.S. Mint Presidential Medal Program

Presidential medals produced by the U.S. Mint trace their origins to the nation’s founding, when early issues were often struck as “Peace Medals” and presented to Native American leaders. In more recent years, the Mint has released silver versions, with sales figures through May 10 as follows:

• George Washington — 39,439
• John Adams — 24,618
• Thomas Jefferson — 26,388
• James Madison — 17,808
• James Monroe — 16,003
• John Quincy Adams — 15,500
• Andrew Jackson — 17,902
• Martin Van Buren — 14,395
• William Henry Harrison — 14,243
• John Tyler — 14,252
• James K. Polk — 13,909
• Zachary Taylor — 13,603
• Millard Fillmore — 13,201
• Franklin Pierce — 13,152
• James Buchanan — 12,933
• Abraham Lincoln — 22,904
• Andrew Johnson — 13,131
• Ulysses S. Grant — 15,003
• Rutherford B. Hayes — 12,247
• James A. Garfield — 12,166
• Chester A. Arthur — 11,446
• Grover Cleveland — 11,936
• Benjamin Harrison — 10,666
• William McKinley — 10,717
• Theodore Roosevelt — 12,810
• William H. Taft — 10,355
• Woodrow Wilson — 8,865

George Washington continues to lead the series by a wide margin, with Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson also ranking among its strongest sellers. Most later medals have settled into a tighter range of about 10,000 to 15,000.

The U.S. Mint also plans to release Presidential Silver Medals later this year honoring Calvin Coolidge in the summer and Herbert Hoover in the fall.

Medal Designs and Specifications

Chief Engraver George T. Morgan designed the original Warren G. Harding medal issued in the 1920s, and both designs appear again on the modern silver medal. The obverse (heads side) shows a bust of Harding facing left, with WARREN G. inscribed to the left and HARDING to the right. MORGAN, identifying the designer, and 1922 also appear in smaller lettering.

The reverse (tails side) features a mourning female figure standing beside a column symbolizing strength. She holds a laurel branch, while a palm branch entwined with a wreath appears at her feet. Below an adaptation of the Presidential Seal are the inscriptions INAUGURATED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MAR. 4, 1921 and DIED AUG. 2, 1923. MORGAN, the designer’s name, appears again in smaller lettering.

Presidential medals have a matte finish similar in appearance to uncirculated coins. Additional specifications include:

Ordering and Price

The Warren G. Harding Presidential Silver Medal is available from the U.S. Mint’s online catalog for $164.

No mintage, product or household order limits apply. Earlier Presidential Silver Medals also remain available from the Mint.