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Charles A. Lindbergh 14-Inch Plaster of the Reverse Design for the 1928 Congressional Gold Medal by Laura Gardin Fraser
This is a plaster of the reverse for the Charles A. Lindbergh Congressional Gold Medal that was designed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser. A gold finish was applied to this white alabaster plaster model by Laura Fraser in her studio. This was from the estate of Laura Gardin Fraser.
The 1928 Charles A. Lindbergh Congressional Gold Medal
On May 20, 1927, Capt. Charles Lindbergh became the first aviator to successfully complete a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. For that feat, which made him a world famous hero and earned him the nickname the Lone Eagle, the United States awarded him the Medal of Honor.
Laura Gardin Fraser was a noted American Sculptor and was the first woman to design a U.S. commemorative coin. She was the winner of the design competition for the 1932 Washington Quarter by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. This design was issued as the 1999 George Washington Commemorative Gold Five-Dollar coin, and her obverse design was used for the circulating quarter starting in 2022.
Her officially adopted designs include the 1921 Alabama Half Dollar, the 1922 Grant Gold Dollar and Half Dollar, and the 1925 Vancouver Half Dollar. Additionally, she co-designed the 1926 Oregon Trail Half Dollar with her husband, sculptor James Earle Fraser.
The Congressional Gold Medal is our country's highest honor recognizing and appreciating the achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The U.S. Mint struck this medal in gold which was presented to Lindbergh. The Smithsonian Institute has one example in gilt bronze. Two specimens were struck in .999 fine silver with a sandblast finish and a weight of 5.77 troy ounces. Bronze versions were struck by the U.S. Mint for sale to collectors.
The Congressional Gold Medal was authorized by Congress on May 4, 1928 and was presented to Col. Charles A. Lindbergh by President Calvin Coolidge at The White House on August 15, 1930. This medal was to commemorate him for the first non-stop transatlantic flight between New York and Paris on May 20-21, 1927.
I have handled many plasters of U.S. coins and U.S. Mint medals. This Charles Lindbergh 14-inch reverse plaster features Laura Fraser's dramatic representation of an iconic flying eagle on the reverse of the medal. Traditionally eagles have been featured on many U.S. Coins and medals as it symbolizes the strength and freedom of America. In honor of Lindbergh's Lone Eagle nickname, Laura Fraser chose a flying eagle for her reverse design. This plaster truly belongs in a museum or private collection of Laura Gardin Fraser coin and medal designs. This would be the centerpiece in a collection dedicated to Charles Lindbergh or Congressional Gold Medals.
This bronze galvano was previously from a Museum/Gallery that acquired it directly from the Fraser Estate. Also in their collection were the original plasters of Laura Gardin Fraser's 1932 Quarter design.
Here is a unique bronze galvano
by Laura Gardin Fraser of the obverse design:
This video was produced by the Medallic Art Company which was one of the longest-lasting private mints in the United States. It ceased operations in 2016 after 113 years. In 2018, the American Numismatic Society acquired the archival remains and intellectual property rights.
Featured on the cover of Mint Error News Magazine Issue 69:
