Undated (ca. 1864) George Washington / He Lived For His Country Medal. First Obverse. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-13, Musante GW-681, Baker-92. Copper. MS-62 (NGC).28 mm. Olive and soft blue-green toning with intense rosy copper red remaining in the recesses close to the rim and in outline around the portrait. A couple of superficial spots are noted but overall the handling is minor and the eye appeal is quite nice. Somewhat softly struck at the reverse center where the relief of the Washington portrait relieved the striking pressure in this area. Prooflike character remains in the fields and the protective rims are thick and high. The dies were cut in 1864 and sold to collector A. Ramsey McCoy. Bolens annotated notebook, the 1868 <em>AJN</em> listing, and the 1882 Johnson listing all give the mintage as five pieces in copper. However, they exist in white metal and brass as well, and according to Musante, the one at ANS is brass (though ANS lists it as copper) and marked B 5 IN COPPER on the edge. There is one in brass in our archives and there was a white metal example in our 1981 Garrett sale. All are very rare. We have only six appearances in all metals in our archives and two of these were in the William Spohn Baker Collection, held tightly from the 19th century to 2019.From the Claremont Collection. Earlier from our ANA Auction of August 2018, lot 25.
