1869 Assay Commission Medal - JK-AC-5, Silver, Seated, No Stars

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,320 AU58 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1869 Assay Commission medal JK-AC-5 in silver is a presentation-quality striking of the "Seated, No Stars" design. The silver composition transforms the spare elegance of the starless seated figure into a luminous display piece, with the metal's natural brilliance highlighting every contour of the allegorical form. Silver strikings of Assay Commission medals from this early period are among the scarcest in the series, as the practice of producing multiple composition variants was still relatively informal. The "Seated, No Stars" and "Seated, Stars" designs represent the first instance of the Assay Commission medal series offering variant obverse compositions within a single year. This practice, which would recur throughout the series' history, gave the Mint's engravers an opportunity to explore different artistic approaches to the same thematic content while providing commission members and collectors with distinct pieces to acquire. The 1869 Assay Commission met to test coins from the 1868 production year, a period when the Mint was still managing the aftereffects of the Civil War on the nation's coinage supply. The resumption of silver coinage for general circulation was a topic of active congressional debate, lending particular importance to the commission's verification that existing silver coins met statutory fineness requirements. This silver medal from the transitional year between the Longacre and Barber eras captures a pivotal moment in Mint history.

Rarity Notes

JK-AC-5 (1869) in silver. "Seated, No Stars" variant. Silver versions of early Assay Commission medals survive in very small numbers.

Cross References

PCGS #512455; JK-AC-5; 1869 Assay Commission