1861 United States Assay Commission Medal. Bronzed Copper. 33 mm. By James Barton Longacre. JK AC-2a. Rarity-5. Proof-64 (NGC). This richly original near-Gem exhibits bold reddish-copper patina on both sides. Both sides are fully struck and overall smooth, a few out of the way carbon spots at and near the rims on both sides are the only impediments to a full Gem rating.The second issue in this series, the obverse of the 1861 Assay Commission medal features Longacres Liberty head motif from the engravers various patterns of 1859 (Judd-237 to 246, Judd-253). The Julian-Keusch reference speculates that the reason the Mint recycled this motif is that the enormous demand for new coinage in late 1860 and early 1861 left no time to prepare new designs. The authors also state that the 1861 Assay Commission medal may be the last that Mint Director James Ross Snowden ordered before leaving office in mid May of that year. This is a lovely Choice Proof example of the issue, comparable to the Keusch Collection specimen that we (Stacks) brought to auction in November 2008. From the Richard Jewell Collection.
