(c.1893) Medal JAB-41 Aluminum Cornerstone Laying

Coin Details

Auction Record

$504 MS64 11-30-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

This aluminum medalet from circa 1893, cataloged as JAB-41, commemorates a cornerstone laying ceremony. John Adams Bolen's later work, including this piece, extended into new materials as aluminum became commercially available following the development of the Hall-Heroult process in 1886. The aluminum composition marks a transition from Bolen's earlier copper and silver pieces to the new "wonder metal" of the late nineteenth century. Cornerstone laying ceremonies were important civic rituals in nineteenth-century America, marking the construction of churches, public buildings, and institutional structures. The specific building commemorated by this medal is not identified in the title, but cornerstone medals were typically produced in small quantities for distribution to ceremony participants and dignitaries. Bolen's JAB-41 designation places this among his later productions, as the numbering indicates it was one of his final medallic projects. Aluminum pieces from the 1890s represent the early commercial use of a metal that would become ubiquitous in the twentieth century.

Rarity Notes

Rare. JAB-41 aluminum. Late Bolen production. Aluminum medalets from the 1890s are uncommon.

Cross References

PCGS #523004; JAB-41; John Adams Bolen; Cornerstone Laying; Aluminum; c.1893