(1860) Bronze Medal J-CM-23, Buchanan Japanese Embassy

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,320 MS67 01-14-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This bronze medal, cataloged as J-CM-23, commemorates the Japanese Embassy to the United States in 1860 during the Buchanan administration. The embassy was the first official Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States, arriving in Washington after Japan's forced opening to Western trade following Commodore Perry's 1853 expedition. The visit generated enormous public curiosity — the Japanese diplomats were exotic celebrities whose every movement was reported by newspapers. President James Buchanan received the embassy at the White House, and the exchange of diplomatic courtesies included the presentation of medals and gifts. The J-CM-23 catalog designation places this within the Julian Commemorative Medal series, documenting one of the most significant diplomatic encounters of the pre-Civil War era. The bronze composition was standard for commemorative medals intended for broader distribution. The 1860 Japanese Embassy represented the beginning of formal U.S.-Japan relations that would have profound consequences for both nations over the following century and a half.

Rarity Notes

J-CM-23, bronze composition. Japanese Embassy 1860. Buchanan administration. Historically significant diplomatic commemorative. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #678275; Julian CM-23; Buchanan Japanese Embassy Medal, Bronze; First Japanese Diplomatic Mission 1860