(c.1886) Bronze Medal J-PR-12, Abraham Lincoln

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,200 SP64BN 01-14-2019 Heritage Auctions

Description

This bronze medal cataloged as Julian PR-12 features a Lincoln portrait struck circa 1886 at the Philadelphia Mint. The bronze composition marks this as the standard collector version, produced in larger quantities than the silver variant to meet demand from the growing community of medal collectors during the Gilded Age. By the 1880s, the U.S. Mint had established a robust medal production program that served both official commemorative purposes and the collector market. Bronze presidential medals were sold directly from the Mint at modest prices, making them accessible to a broad audience that included institutional collections, individual hobbyists, and dealers. The PR-12 Lincoln portrait reflects the artistic sensibilities of the 1880s rather than the wartime urgency of the earlier Paquet and Barber Lincoln medals. The passage of two decades since Lincoln's assassination allowed for a more contemplative, idealized approach to his image — one that emphasized his role as a national symbol rather than documenting his appearance during the stresses of wartime leadership. Lincoln's position in the presidential medal series is uniquely extensive, with more Julian catalog entries devoted to his medals than to any other president. This reflects both his extraordinary historical significance and the sustained public demand for Lincoln-related numismatic items that began with his assassination and has never diminished in the century and a half since.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce. Bronze examples from the 1880s are less common than later productions. The Julian PR-12 bronze is somewhat more available than its silver counterpart but still valued by Lincoln medal specialists.

Cross References

Julian PR-12 (Bronze); NGC #951508; PCGS #669733