Bolen Medals (JAB)

About This Coin

Signed with the distinctive JAB monogram of their creator John Adams Bolen (1826-1906), the Bolen Medals constitute a celebrated series of privately struck medallic pieces that blend original compositions with skilled reproductions of rare colonial American coins and medals. Bolen, a Springfield, Massachusetts die sinker who operated during the Civil War era and beyond, produced approximately 150 cataloged die combinations covering subjects that ranged from faithful copies of NE shillings and Pine Tree coins to original satirical commentaries on wartime politics and patriotic themes. The JAB designation — derived from Bolen's initials — serves as both an attribution mark found on many of his productions and as the standard catalog prefix used by researchers and collectors to identify his work. Bolen's technical skill as a die engraver was exceptional, producing copies of colonial coins that required careful analysis to distinguish from genuine seventeenth-century originals, and this mastery has ensured that his work is studied and collected not merely as numismatic curiosity but as a significant chapter in the history of American medallic art. The Kenney reference catalog provides the definitive listing of Bolen's productions, assigning die numbers and documenting the metals, quantities, and current rarity of each variety. Bolen struck his medals in copper, silver, white metal, brass, and occasionally other metals, and surviving production records indicate that most issues were produced in quantities of 50 or fewer, making many varieties genuinely rare by any standard. Notable auction results — including specimens reaching five-figure prices for the rarest varieties — confirm the market's recognition of Bolen's work as a premium collecting category within American exonumia. The Misc. Medallic, Token, and Fantasy Coinage classification encompasses Bolen's productions alongside the work of other nineteenth-century private die sinkers, but the consistency, quality, and scholarly documentation of Bolen's output give his work a distinct identity that supports dedicated specialist collecting.