1880 United States Assay Commission Medal Mule. By Charles E. Barber. JK AC-21. Rarity-6. Copper. MS-66 BN (NGC).33 mm. With beautiful, rich mahogany bronzing to smooth, satiny surfaces. Fully struck and visually appealing.<p>The Julian-Keusch reference describes this type as a mule made for collectors, although the authors leave open the possibility that the "rather plain reverse had been worked up for something else and then laid aside for possible Assay medal use." In any event, JK AC-21 is elusive - and more so than the Rarity-6 rating seems to imply. This is our first offering for the type since 2008, when we (Stack) sold the much inferior specimen from the Ernest E. Keusch Collection.From Heritages CSNS Signature Auction of April 2013, lot 5293.
