Undated (ca. 1878) Muling of John Adams Bolens Washington Portrait Obverses. Musante JAB W-2, Musante GW-690, Baker-Unlisted. Copper. MS-66+ RB (PCGS).27.7 mm. Prooflike on both sides with generous deep, faded original red. Attractive accents of pale blue and rose through the fields. Well struck and very rare. It is believed that just five examples were struck in copper, this being reported in W. Elliot Woodwards sale of April 1886. Musante found five appearances of this in copper in Woodward sales between 1879 and 1886, perhaps representing the entire mintage and almost certainly including this Gem that sold to William Spohn Baker. Musante did not have an image for his book on Bolen, using a composite, and this is the nicer example of just two we have seen. Extremely rare and with an outstanding provenance.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 20504.
