(1882) Bronze Medalet J-PR-41, Lincoln-Garfield

Coin Details

Description

The 1882 Lincoln-Garfield medalet in bronze, cataloged as Julian PR-41, is a small-format bronze version of the dual assassination memorial medal connecting Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James A. Garfield. The term "medalet" indicates a medal of reduced diameter, typically under 25mm, designed for wearing on the person or collecting in a compact format. This diminutive size made the Lincoln-Garfield memorial accessible to the broadest possible audience, allowing ordinary citizens to carry or display a tangible token of remembrance for the two murdered presidents. The bronze composition and small size place this medalet at the most affordable end of the Lincoln-Garfield medal spectrum, which ranged from the exceedingly rare gold strikings through silver versions to standard bronze and finally to this smallest bronze format. The 1882 production date indicates the medalet was among the first commemorative responses to Garfield's assassination, struck while public mourning was still acute and the civil service reform movement was gathering momentum. Lincoln's assassination in 1865 had fundamentally altered the American political landscape, and Garfield's murder sixteen years later reinforced the lesson. The production of medalets — small, inexpensive, widely distributable — ensured that the memorial linking these two fallen presidents could reach the hands of common people across the country, not just wealthy collectors or political elites. The Julian PR-41 bronze medalet thus served a democratic commemorative function appropriate to the republican principles both presidents championed.

Rarity Notes

Bronze medalet format was produced for broad public distribution. More common than silver or gold versions but less frequently encountered than standard-size bronze presidential medals due to its smaller format and commemorative nature.

Cross References

PCGS #910951; Julian PR-41