Undated (ca. 1864) George Washington / He Lived For His Country Medal. Second Obverse. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-14, Musante GW-682, Baker-93. Copper. MS-66 RB (PCGS).27.7 mm. Light rosy-copper dominates the obverse, while soft violet highlights in the fields add to the visual appeal. The reverse is mostly pastel blue and violet over olive brown copper, though traces of red remain in the recesses. Sharp reflectivity in the fields and a very nice strike with high, sharp rims. One of these He Lived For His Country variants appeared in the October 1865 sale of the Dr. Frank S. Edwards estate, so it is certain that one variety (and likely both) predate the suggestion that Woodward commissioned these in copper in the late 1870s. Since the one at ANS bears Bolens own edge mark, he clearly struck medals from these dies, and two were reported to have been made in copper by him in the Edwin Johnson list in 1882. Interestingly, we have just two copper impressions in our archives, this being one of them, coming from the famous Baker Collection of Washington portrait medals.From the Claremont Collection. Earlier from the William Spohn Baker Collection, to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by bequest, November 15, 1897; our Baltimore Auction of November 2019, lot 20500.
