1925 Norse Gold Medal Commemorative PCGS PR65 (CAC)

The Norse-American medal of 1925 was ostensibly created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the voyage of the Restauration, a vessel that brought Norwegian immigrants to America in 1825. In reality, it celebrated Norwegians in America from 1000 A.D. to the year of its issuance.

Anthony Swiatek's 2012 book, Encyclopedia of the Commemorative Coins of the United States, explains that the silver versions of the Norse American medal were struck and sold in abundant numbers: 31,750 of the thick variant and 6,000 of the thin. However, there were only 100 matte gold pieces struck and 53 of those were returned by the Centennial Corporation as unsold, leaving a net mintage of only 47 pieces. Therefore, this offering from AUCM is quite rare indeed.

PCGS has graded 6 as Proof 65 with 7 finer. In CAC, there are 5 in PR65 with 6 finer. CAC gives this issue a price of $37,400.00 in PR65.

Minnesota Congressman Ole J. Kvale, a Norwegian American, who came up with the idea of the Norse American medal. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The Norse-American medal was the brainchild of Ole Juulson Kvale (1869-1929), a proud Norwegian-American congressman from Minnesota who was a member of the Farmer-Labor Party.

A member of the Norse-American Centennial Commission, Kvale took an active role in organizing the 100th anniversary commemoration of the 54-foot sloop Restauration's 1825 voyage from Stavanger, Norway to New York City. Kvale, who was a member of the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures, in January 1925, contacted the Treasury Department to gain its support for the production of a commemorative coin to coincide with the anniversary. The Treasury, however, he was told, would not permit it. Kvale was told that commemorative coins for ethnic heritage would not pass Congress because of the controversy caused by the 1924 Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary half dollar, which was seen as Protestant propaganda in certain circles. 

Kvale discovered that a medal could be produced instead of a commemorative coin. Kvale and his son Paul met with Treasury officers, bringing along with them a draft bill authorizing the Bureau of the Mint to create and produce medals to commemorate the anniversary of the Restauration.