1861 Bronze Medal Baker-279B, Mint Allegiance Medal

Coin Details

Description

The 1861 medal Baker-279B in bronze is the Mint Allegiance Medal, produced at the United States Mint in Philadelphia during the first year of the Civil War. When Southern states began seceding in early 1861, the loyalty of federal employees became a matter of urgent concern. Mint Director James Ross Snowden required employees to take an oath of allegiance to the Union, and this medal was produced to commemorate or symbolize that act of loyalty. The use of Washington's portrait on an allegiance medal was a powerful statement — it linked fidelity to the Union with fidelity to the founding principles that Washington embodied. The Mint Allegiance Medal is one of the most historically significant Civil War-era pieces in the Washingtoniana series. It documents a specific moment when the institutions of the federal government were under existential threat and their employees were called upon to declare their loyalty. The Philadelphia Mint remained firmly in Union hands throughout the war, but the New Orleans and Charlotte branch mints were seized by Confederate authorities, making the question of Mint employees' allegiance more than theoretical. Baker-279B in bronze represents the standard composition for this issue. The medal was produced in small quantities, as it was intended for a specific institutional purpose rather than public sale.

Rarity Notes

Bronze Mint Allegiance Medal. Limited production for U.S. Mint employees. Baker-279B is a significant Civil War-era Washington medal with strong institutional provenance.

Cross References

Baker-279B; PCGS #523613; U.S. Mint Allegiance Medal, 1861