1959 Assay Commission Medal - JK-AC-103, Bronze, Abraham Lincoln

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,560 MS65 03-25-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1959 Assay Commission medal in bronze, cataloged as JK-AC-103, features Abraham Lincoln on the obverse. The choice of Lincoln for the 1959 medal was almost certainly connected to the sesquicentennial of Lincoln's birth (February 12, 1809), a milestone widely celebrated across the nation. The numismatic world also marked the occasion with the introduction of the Lincoln Memorial reverse on the cent, replacing the wheat ears design that had appeared since 1909. The commission testing coins from 1958 would have examined the last of the wheat cent reverses, while the 1959 production they would test the following year would introduce the new memorial design. Lincoln's appearance on both the circulating cent and the Assay Commission medal in the same year created a medallic synergy that collectors appreciate. The bronze composition was standard for commission member distribution.

Rarity Notes

JK-AC-103, bronze composition. Features Abraham Lincoln during his birth sesquicentennial year. Coincides with the Lincoln Memorial cent introduction.

Cross References

PCGS #972696; JK-AC-103; Abraham Lincoln; 1959 Assay Commission; Lincoln Sesquicentennial