(c.1861) Medal JAB-1 Copper Pioneer Baseball Club

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,280 MS63BN 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This circa 1861 copper medal, cataloged as JAB-1, is the first in the series of medalets produced by John Adams Bolen (1826-1907) of Springfield, Massachusetts. Bolen was a skilled die sinker and one of the most important private engravers in American numismatic history. JAB-1 commemorates the Pioneer Baseball Club, reflecting the growing popularity of organized baseball in mid-nineteenth century America. Bolen began his medallic career during the Civil War era, producing a series of small medals, tokens, and mulings that are now avidly collected. His work is characterized by fine detail and original designs that capture the cultural interests of his time. The Pioneer Baseball Club medal is particularly notable as Bolen's inaugural numbered piece, establishing the beginning of a body of work that would eventually encompass dozens of original designs and creative mulings of obverse and reverse dies.

Rarity Notes

JAB-1, copper. First in the Bolen medalet series. Original Bolen pieces were produced in very small quantities, typically 25-50 pieces per variety.

Cross References

PCGS #784845; JAB-1; J.A. Bolen Pioneer Baseball Club, Copper