(c.1864) Medal JAB-M/E 8 Copper U.S. Arsenal - Liberty Cap

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS63BN 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This circa 1864 copper medal is cataloged as JAB-M/E 8, featuring a combination of the U.S. Arsenal design with the Liberty Cap — a muling by J.A. Bolen that pairs two of his most popular motifs. The arsenal obverse references Civil War-era military infrastructure while the Liberty Cap reverse invokes the classical symbolism of American freedom. Bolen's mulings were not random combinations but thoughtful pairings that created new thematic connections between his existing dies. The M/E 8 designation places this among Bolen's experimental pieces, produced in even smaller quantities than his standard numbered medals. The pairing of military and liberty themes was particularly resonant during the Civil War, when the relationship between armed conflict and the preservation of freedom was the central question of American political life.

Rarity Notes

JAB-M/E 8, copper. Arsenal / Liberty Cap muling. Experimental piece with very limited production.

Cross References

PCGS #886966; JAB-M/E 8; U.S. Arsenal - Liberty Cap, Copper