(1871) Bronze Medal J-CM-16, Emancipation Proclamation

Coin Details

Auction Record

$900 MS64BN 09-18-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This bronze medal, cataloged as J-CM-16, commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln's historic executive order of January 1, 1863, which declared slaves in Confederate states "forever free." The "AE" designation confirms the bronze composition. The J-CM-16 catalog number places this within the Julian Commemorative Medal series. The Emancipation Proclamation was one of the most consequential acts of any American president, transforming the Civil War from a struggle to preserve the Union into a war of liberation. While the Proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved people — it applied only to states in rebellion and exempted border states — it fundamentally changed the moral character of the conflict and paved the way for the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery entirely. Medals commemorating emancipation are among the most historically significant in American numismatics, documenting through metallic art the moment when the nation began to fulfill the promise of its founding ideals of equality and liberty.

Rarity Notes

J-CM-16, bronze (AE) composition. Emancipation Proclamation commemorative. Historically significant. Scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #518491; Julian CM-16; Emancipation Proclamation Medal, Bronze; January 1, 1863