Undated (ca. 1861) Pioneer Baseball Club Medal. By John Adams Bolen. Musante JAB-1. Silvered Tin. AU Details--Environmental Damage (PCGS). 32 mm. Iridescent multicolored undertones of rich steel-gray patina provide superior eye appeal for the assigned grade. Areas of roughness explain the PCGS qualifier, although direct lighting calls forth considerable flashiness to original mint luster from the fields. Well struck with all features sharp. The edge marks on Bolens personal specimen in our November 2021 sale of the E Pluribus Unum Collection indicate that 25 of these were struck, but the number is reported as 125 in his own notebook and in the 1882 Edwin Johnson listing. Considering the frequency of appearances of both compositions, it is fairly clear that the white metal (i.e., tin) examples were made in a larger number than the copper ones. There were some 40 club members in the Pioneer Club, so it is unlikely that either composition would have an original issue number smaller than that. As such, 75 is probably reliable for the copper ones and 125 is likely accurate for this, though this more fragile composition undoubtedly contributed to a greater degree of loss over the years. Collector envelope included.
