1785 (ca. 1863) Inimica Tyrannis Americana / Confederatio Copper Muling. Small Circle. Copy by John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-8, Kenney-3, W-14255. Brass. Diagonally Reeded Edge. Unc Details--Spot Removals (NGC).26.5 mm. Warm golden-brass with three darker patches where some ancient effort was put into smoothing out the natural die cancellations marks laid down by J.A. Bolen before he sold the dies to Dr. Edwards. Well struck, lustrous and satiny otherwise. The first and only mention we are aware of for this medal struck in brass is in W. Elliot Woodwards April 1866 sale of the Francis S. Hoffman Collection, where, at lot 1519 he offers an example and calls it unique. We are aware of no other impressions and Musante also found no other mention of this medal in this composition. The Hoffman sale also included an example of JAB-7 in brass, also believed unique (lot 1520). We are not aware of any appearances of that specimen. These were likely made to order, or simply purchased by Hoffman, as his sale was within three years of the dies being cut in the first place. Both sold to W. Elliot Woodward. Unique Bolens are few, and any one is a significant acquisition for an advanced collector of these medallic works.From the Claremont Collection. Earlier from W. Elliot Woodwards sale of the Francis S. Hoffman Collection, April 1866, lot 1519 (highly probable); Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society; Heritages sale of the Eric P. Newman Collection, Part XI, November 2018, lot 15510.
