(1867) Medal JAB-24 Brass J.A. Bolen

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS63RB 03-25-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This brass medal cataloged as JAB-24 is a self-referential piece by John Adams Bolen, bearing his own name and his portrait or personal emblems. JAB-24 falls within the middle of Bolen's numbered medal sequence, produced circa 1867 during the most prolific period of his medallic career. Bolen created several self-identifying medals that served as both calling cards for his die-sinking business and collectible pieces in their own right. The practice of die sinkers producing self-portrait or self-advertising medals has a long tradition in numismatic art, dating back to Renaissance medalists. The brass composition gives this piece a distinctive golden tone. Bolen's self-referential pieces are foundational items for collectors assembling a comprehensive set, as they document the artist himself rather than his historical subjects. His complete numbered output spans JAB-1 through JAB-39, with additional mulings (M-series) and Kline continuations (K-series).

Rarity Notes

J.A. Bolen brass personal medal. Very limited production. Among the most personally significant pieces in the Bolen oeuvre.

Cross References

PCGS #600210; JAB-24