(1860) Medal GW-241, J-MT-23 Silver U.S. Mint Cabinet

Coin Details

Auction Record

$9,000 SP65 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This silver medal cataloged as GW-241 and Julian MT-23 is the premium silver version of the U.S. Mint Cabinet medal, produced circa 1860. While the bronze version (PCGS #516881) was the standard souvenir sold to visitors at the Philadelphia Mint, silver strikings were produced in much smaller quantities for collectors willing to pay the higher precious metal premium. The silver Mint Cabinet medal would have been among the most expensive items available for purchase at the Mint, conferring a sense of exclusivity on its owner. The U.S. Mint Cabinet — the official numismatic collection housed at the Philadelphia facility — served as both a museum for public education and a reference collection for Mint engravers and officials. Silver strikings of Mint Cabinet medals are significantly rarer than their bronze counterparts and command substantial premiums in the numismatic market. The Washington portrait design was one of the Mint's signature medal offerings throughout the nineteenth century.

Rarity Notes

GW-241, Julian MT-23, silver. Premium U.S. Mint Cabinet medal. Substantially rarer than the bronze version. Few examples in collector hands.

Cross References

PCGS #681614; GW-241; J-MT-23; U.S. Mint Cabinet medal, silver