1863 Silver Medal J-RF-10b, Holed Philadelphia Union League

Coin Details

Description

This silver medal, cataloged as J-RF-10b, is associated with the Philadelphia Union League and bears a 1863 date. The medal is holed, indicating it was worn as a pendant or suspended from a ribbon — a common practice for membership and patriotic medals during the Civil War era. The Philadelphia Union League, founded in 1862, was one of the most influential patriotic organizations of the Civil War period, dedicated to supporting the Union cause, promoting loyalty, and raising funds and troops for the war effort. The League attracted Philadelphia's most prominent citizens and became a model for similar organizations across the North. The J-RF-10b catalog number places this within the Julian reference for patriotic fund and relief medals. The silver composition and holed format suggest this was worn as a visible declaration of Union loyalty at a time when Philadelphia, despite being a Northern city, contained significant Confederate sympathies that the Union League sought to counteract through civic organization and public patriotic display.

Rarity Notes

J-RF-10b, silver composition, holed for wearing. Philadelphia Union League 1863. Civil War patriotic medal. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #896288; Julian RF-10b; Philadelphia Union League Medal, Silver Holed; 1863