Undated (21st century) Abraham Lincoln / Emancipation Medal. Dies by John Adams Bolen. Gold. Overstruck on an 1843-O Liberty Head Eagle. Musante JAB-20/28, for relevant types. Choice Mint State.28.6 mm. Brilliant light yellow-gold surfaces with little handling. Struck slightly off center on the host coin, with broad but slightly uneven rims around as the Bolen dies were smaller in diameter than the host. Struck from the obverse of the Lincoln / With Malice Toward None medal, and the reverse of the Emancipation medal, and thus a muling of these two dies. Considerable undertype remains, leaving no questions as to the remarkable host. The date is full, beneath Lincolns bust, and most of the outline of Liberty is visible, as are most stars. The reverse is similar, with the hosts eagle very visible as is the prominent mintmark just below the letter L in LINCOLN.<p>A modern impression from Bolens original dies that has created a unique Bolen delicacy. Though it does not have the age of many others, several entities are known to have reproduced Bolens works in the 19th century from his original dies, and this falls neatly into the same category - acknowledgement of both Bolens skill as a diesinker and the ongoing collector interest in his works. Notably, Bolen himself created dies that copied old numismatic rarities, and thus this modern impression from his dies is part of a long tradition of looking back at numismatic history, intertwining the numismatic past and the relevant present era. The fact that the Lincoln Emancipation medal was the theme for this rarity is also notable, as both Lincoln and the theme of Emancipation are well collected.From the Claremont Collection. Earlier ex Steve Hayden, June 2020.
