1940 Assay Commission Medal - JK-AC-85, Bronze, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,200 MS64 03-29-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1940 Assay Commission medal in bronze, cataloged as JK-AC-85, features President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a return to the presidential portrait after several years of other subjects. By 1940, Roosevelt was preparing for an unprecedented third presidential term — breaking the two-term tradition established by George Washington — as the war in Europe intensified. The Assay Commission proceedings examined coinage from a year when Mint production was beginning to increase in anticipation of wartime demands, though the United States would not formally enter the conflict until after the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Roosevelt's sustained presence as an Assay Commission medal subject across multiple years (1935-1936, 1940, 1942) reflected both his unprecedented length of service and his profound impact on the nation's economic and monetary institutions. The bronze composition marks standard distribution to commission members.

Rarity Notes

JK-AC-85, bronze (AE) composition. FDR portrait returning after a gap. Standard commission distribution. Produced as Roosevelt prepared for unprecedented third term.

Cross References

PCGS #972654; JK-AC-85; Franklin D. Roosevelt; 1940 Assay Commission