1876 Bronze Medalet J-CM-26, 24mm Lowell Centennial

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 MS63 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1876 bronze medalet at 24mm, cataloged as J-CM-26, commemorates the Lowell Centennial — associated with Lowell, Massachusetts, during the national Centennial year. Lowell was one of the most important industrial cities in American history, founded in the 1820s as a planned manufacturing center powered by the Merrimack River. The city's textile mills made it the cradle of the American Industrial Revolution, and by the 1870s Lowell was recognized worldwide as a pioneering model of industrial organization. The small 24mm medalet format — roughly the size of a nickel — was popular for inexpensive commemoratives intended for wide distribution at civic celebrations. The J-CM-26 Julian designation documents this as an official commemorative medal. Bronze medalets were the most accessible souvenir format, affordable enough for any participant to carry home as a keepsake of the celebration. The small size required exceptional engraving skill to render the design legibly at such compact scale.

Rarity Notes

J-CM-26, bronze medalet 24mm. Lowell Centennial 1876. Small format for broad distribution.

Cross References

PCGS #784658; Julian CM-26; Lowell Centennial Medalet, Bronze 24mm; 1876