(c.1865) Medal JAB-17 White Metal J.A. Bolen

Coin Details

Auction Record

$204 MS61 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This circa 1865 white metal medal, cataloged as JAB-17, is a later-period piece in J.A. Bolen's numbered medalet series. By 1865, the Civil War was ending and Bolen's work was transitioning from the patriotic and military themes that dominated his early output toward more varied subjects. JAB-17 features Bolen's name or monogram, identifying him as the creator — a practice that distinguished his work from anonymous Civil War tokens and medalets produced by less scrupulous die sinkers. The white metal composition gives this piece a silvery appearance at modest cost. Bolen's numbered series provides a chronological record of his artistic development, with each successive number representing a new design or subject in his evolving body of work. The post-war pieces are less commonly encountered than the Civil War-era designs that form the core of most Bolen collections.

Rarity Notes

JAB-17, white metal. Post-Civil War Bolen medalet. Limited production typical of the series.

Cross References

PCGS #886846; JAB-17; J.A. Bolen, White Metal