(1862) Brass JAB-6 Bolen Medal Extremes of Party Spirit

Coin Details

Description

This brass medal cataloged as JAB-6 is the work of John Adams Bolen (1826-1907), the Springfield, Massachusetts die sinker whose "Bolen medals" constitute one of the most distinctive and collected series in American numismatics. This piece, titled "Extremes of Party Spirit," dates from approximately 1862 and comments on the intense political divisions of the Civil War era. Bolen was a skilled engraver who produced a series of original medals and tokens, as well as notorious copies of rare colonial and early American coins. The JAB catalog designation is the standard reference for Bolen's medallic work. "Extremes of Party Spirit" reflects the bitter partisan conflicts that characterized wartime politics, when Copperhead Democrats opposed the Lincoln administration's prosecution of the war while Radical Republicans demanded more aggressive measures against slavery and the Confederacy. Bolen's medals are valued both for their artistic quality and their documentary value as contemporary commentary on the political and social issues of the Civil War period.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Bolen medals were produced in very small quantities, typically 25-50 pieces per variety, and are actively sought by specialists in Civil War-era numismatics.

Cross References

PCGS #523001; JAB-6; John Adams Bolen (1826-1907)