(1869) Gilt Brass Token Rulau Ma-Bo 88, National Peace Jubilee

Coin Details

Description

Gilt brass commemorative token for the National Peace Jubilee held in Boston in June 1869. The five-day celebration, organized by bandmaster Patrick Gilmore, marked the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction with a massive musical festival featuring a 10,000-voice chorus, a 1,000-piece orchestra, and cannon fire synchronized to the music. The coliseum built for the event seated 50,000 people and was the largest enclosed space in America at the time. President Grant attended. The gilt brass composition gave this commemorative token an attractive gold-like appearance. Gilt brass, 25mm. Industrial expansion after the war created a prosperous merchant class that increasingly embraced numismatic collecting, driving demand for historical tokens as collectible artifacts. Boston and its surrounding towns were among the earliest centers of American token production, with die sinkers like Joseph H. Merriam and John Adams Bolen establishing the craft.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Commemorative token from one of the largest public celebrations in 19th-century America. The 1869 National Peace Jubilee was Patrick Gilmore's first great musical festival (his 1872 World Peace Jubilee was even larger). Collected by Boston numismatists, Civil War commemorative specialists, and American music history enthusiasts.

Cross References

Rulau Ma-Bo 88; PCGS #629254