(c.1870) Gold Medal J-AM-61, NYS Agricultural Soc.

Coin Details

Auction Record

$9,000 SP63 11-26-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This gold medal, cataloged as J-AM-61, was produced circa 1870 for the New York State Agricultural Society, one of the nation's leading agricultural organizations during the nineteenth century. The "AV" designation confirms the gold (aurum) composition. The New York State Agricultural Society, founded in 1832, promoted agricultural improvement through annual fairs, exhibitions, and the distribution of award medals to farmers, breeders, and inventors who advanced the state's agricultural productivity. Gold medals were the society's highest honor, reserved for the most outstanding contributions. The J-AM-61 designation places this within the Julian American Medal series, documenting the U.S. Mint's role in producing award medals for state institutions. Agricultural medals from the post-Civil War era document the transformation of American farming from small-scale subsistence agriculture to the mechanized, scientific enterprise that would make the United States the world's greatest food producer.

Rarity Notes

J-AM-61, gold (AV) composition. NYS Agricultural Society award. Circa 1870. Extremely rare — gold award medals are among the scarcest U.S. Mint products.

Cross References

PCGS #939242; Julian AM-61; New York State Agricultural Society Medal, Gold; c. 1870