CVC & Collectables presents a highly unusual and collectible 1884 Grover Cleveland campaign and inaugural medal, struck in white metal, cataloged as DeWitt-GC-1884-11, and certified NGC UNC Details. Known as the “Beef” inaugural, this medal combines political celebration with pointed satire—making it one of the more whimsical and scarce pieces of Gilded Age political exonumia.
Medal Highlights:
- Candidate: Grover Cleveland
- Date: 1884 (Election Year, Inauguration 1885)
- Material: White Metal
- Diameter: 28 mm
- Catalog Reference: DeWitt-GC-1884-11
- Certification: NGC UNC Details
- Nickname: “Beef” Inaugural Medal
- Strike: Medallic alignment
Obverse:
Portrait of Grover Cleveland facing left with inscription:
GROVER CLEVELAND DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT 1884
Reverse:
Whimsical and politically charged design featuring a full side of hanging beef, with text alluding to Cleveland’s past as Buffalo’s mayor and reformer. This image was intended as a light-hearted jab at his reputation for frugality and reform, earning the nickname “Beef” inaugural.
Collectibility:
This is one of the more obscure and amusing medals from Cleveland’s 1884 campaign. While noted as UNC Details due to surface imperfections common with white metal pieces, the example still retains excellent strike quality and detail. A must-have for collectors of presidential campaign medals, 19th-century political satire, or Grover Cleveland memorabilia. Find more alike here!
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