1860 Bronze Medal MT-23 Cabinet Bronze

Coin Details

Description

This 1860 bronze medal Julian MT-23, known as the "Cabinet" medal, commemorates the U.S. Mint Cabinet — the institutional numismatic collection housed at the Philadelphia Mint that served as a repository for significant coins, medals, and other numismatic objects. The Mint Cabinet was established informally by Chief Coiner Adam Eckfeldt in the early 1800s and grew into one of the most important numismatic collections in the world before its eventual transfer to the Smithsonian Institution. This medal, produced under Director James Ross Snowden's administration, celebrated the collection and its role in preserving American numismatic heritage. The obverse of the Cabinet medal features design elements appropriate to its subject, reflecting the scholarly and curatorial function of the Mint's numismatic collection. Director Snowden took a particular interest in the Cabinet, acquiring important pieces and publishing catalogs that made the collection's contents known to the numismatic community. The 1860 date places this medal in the final full year of Snowden's directorship, during which he was actively promoting the Mint Cabinet as both an educational resource and a source of pride for the institution. The reverse carries the Julian MT-23 catalog designation and inscriptions related to the Cabinet's purpose and contents. The medal itself represents a self-referential moment in Mint history — the institution producing a medal about its own collection of medals and coins. The Mint Cabinet medal is a key piece for collectors of the Julian MT series, documenting an aspect of Mint operations that goes beyond coinage production to encompass the preservation and study of numismatic history.

Rarity Notes

Bronze Cabinet medal, Julian MT-23. Commemorates the U.S. Mint Cabinet numismatic collection. Produced in 1860 under Director Snowden.

Cross References

PCGS #516882; Julian MT-23; U.S. Mint Cabinet; Director James Ross Snowden