(c.1872) Bronze Medal J-MT-6, 76mm H.R. Linderman

Coin Details

Auction Record

$600 MS65BN 03-31-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This large 76mm bronze medal Julian MT-6 honors Henry Richard Linderman (1825-1879), who served as Director of the United States Mint from 1867 to 1869 and again from 1873 to 1878. Linderman was one of the most influential and controversial figures in American monetary history, playing a central role in the passage of the Coinage Act of 1873 — dubbed the "Crime of '73" by silver advocates — which effectively demonetized silver and placed the United States on a de facto gold standard. The large 76mm format of this medal reflects the importance accorded to Linderman's position in the Mint's institutional history. The obverse features a portrait of Linderman, whose technical expertise in metallurgy and coinage made him invaluable to the Treasury Department even during the intervals between his two terms as director. Between his directorships, Linderman served as a special agent investigating the operations of the western branch mints and authored influential reports on coinage reform. His deep understanding of international monetary trends, particularly the global shift toward gold standards, shaped his advocacy for the legislative changes that would transform American monetary policy for decades. The reverse carries the Julian MT-6 designation and commemorative inscriptions appropriate to Linderman's consequential career. The 76mm diameter makes this one of the largest medals in the Mint and Treasury series, providing ample space for detailed portraiture and extensive inscriptions. Linderman's legacy remains debated among historians — celebrated by gold standard advocates as a modernizer and condemned by silver supporters as the instrument of a monetary "crime" that impoverished western miners and farmers. His death in 1879, just as the silver debate was reaching its peak intensity, spared him from the worst of the political backlash.

Rarity Notes

Large 76mm bronze medal, Julian MT-6. Linderman served as Mint Director 1867-1869 and 1873-1878. Key figure in the Coinage Act of 1873.

Cross References

PCGS #697565; Julian MT-6; Henry Richard Linderman (1825-1879); Mint Director; Coinage Act of 1873