(1880) Bronze Medal J-MT-14, A. Loudon Snowden

Coin Details

Auction Record

$576 MS65BN 04-13-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronze medal Julian MT-14 honors Archibald Loudon Snowden (1836-1914), who served as the twenty-second Director of the United States Mint from 1879 to 1885. Snowden's directorship coincided with a period of intense debate over monetary policy, particularly the silver question that dominated American politics following passage of the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, which required the Treasury to purchase and coin large quantities of silver. Under Snowden's leadership, the Philadelphia Mint operated at high capacity producing the Morgan silver dollars mandated by the legislation. The obverse features a portrait of Snowden, who came to the position with both political connections and a genuine interest in numismatics. He was instrumental in cataloging and expanding the Mint Cabinet collection, the institutional numismatic collection that had been growing since Adam Eckfeldt began setting aside interesting coins in the early 1800s. Snowden authored one of the early published catalogs of the Mint's medal collection, contributing to the scholarly understanding of American medallic art. His tenure also saw the production of some of the most celebrated proof sets and pattern coins of the late nineteenth century. The reverse carries the Julian MT-14 designation and commemorative inscriptions. Snowden later served as U.S. Minister to Greece and Romania (1889-1893), reflecting the diplomatic career paths often followed by former Mint directors. The bronze composition and standard medallic format place this piece within the established tradition of Mint director portrait medals that document the leadership succession of America's coinage institution.

Rarity Notes

Bronze medal, Julian MT-14. Snowden served as Mint Director 1879-1885 during the Morgan dollar production era.

Cross References

PCGS #674610; Julian MT-14; A. Loudon Snowden (1836-1914); 22nd Mint Director 1879-1885