(1787) Copper JAB M-12 Bolen Medal Excelsior

Coin Details

Description

This copper medalet cataloged as JAB M-12 is a muling by John Adams Bolen depicting the Excelsior motif associated with early New York coinage. Bolen (1826-1907) was a Springfield, Massachusetts die sinker and engraver who produced a celebrated series of medalets, copies, and mulings during the 1860s and 1870s. Unlike contemporary counterfeiters, Bolen openly identified his productions and carefully documented each die combination he created. The JAB M-series designates mulings — pieces struck from two dies not originally intended to be paired together — which Bolen produced in very small quantities across multiple metals. The Excelsior design references the colonial-era New York copper coinage of 1787, which featured the state motto "Excelsior" (meaning "Ever Upward") alongside imagery of a standing figure and heraldic eagle. Bolen's reinterpretation of this design placed it within his personal medallic oeuvre, combining historical reference with his own artistic sensibility. Bolen's total known output across all die combinations and metals was extremely limited, with most varieties surviving in quantities of fewer than twenty-five pieces.

Rarity Notes

J.A. Bolen copper muling, produced in very limited quantities typical of his medallic output. Most Bolen pieces survive in fewer than 25 examples per metal. Actively sought by specialists in American medalets and numismatic Americana.

Cross References

PCGS #597363; JAB M-12; Bolen Excelsior muling