(1865) Silver Medal J-PR-36, Abraham Lincoln

Coin Details

Auction Record

$720 MS64 11-09-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This silver medal cataloged as Julian PR-36 was produced in 1865 following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14 of that year. Designed by Anthony C. Paquet at the Philadelphia Mint, the medal serves as a memorial to the martyred president, with only approximately 400 silver examples produced — making it one of the scarcest Lincoln medals struck at the U.S. Mint. The obverse features Paquet's portrait of Lincoln, while the reverse carries a memorial design appropriate to the somber occasion of the president's death. The assassination — occurring just days after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox effectively ended the Civil War — transformed Lincoln from a wartime leader into a national martyr, and demand for memorial medals was immediate and intense. The extremely limited production of only about 400 silver examples reflects both the Mint's resources and the premium nature of the silver composition. Bronze versions were produced in somewhat larger quantities to satisfy broader demand, but even those remain scarce by modern standards. The memorial medal was among the first official Mint responses to the assassination, preceding the more elaborate memorial medallions and commemorative pieces that followed in subsequent years. Julian PR-36 holds a special place in Lincoln numismatics as an immediate, official response to the most shocking event in nineteenth-century American political history. The medal's rarity, combined with Lincoln's enduring popularity among collectors, ensures that examples command substantial premiums whenever they appear at auction.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Only approximately 400 silver examples struck. One of the scarcest official Mint Lincoln medals. Auction appearances are infrequent and typically generate strong bidding among Lincoln specialists.

Cross References

Julian PR-36; PCGS #627842; NGC #951721