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Replying to Thread: Julian SC-1: Adams Academy US Mint GOLD medal (and a heck of a rip to boot)
Created On Wednesday 19, December, 2007 7:36 PM by jonathanb

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jonathanb
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 7:36 PM

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A medal for the Adams Academy is the alphabetically-first school medal listed by Julian as struck at the US Mint prior to 1892. He describes it as follows:

SC-1
Adams Academy
Starting in 1876, the mint usually struck one gold Adams Academy medal each year for Henry Mitchell. The last was produced in 1892. A letter from Superintendent James Pollock to Mitchell, of September 11, 1876, mentioned that the relief was very bold on the obverse die. In the second quarter of 1889 four bronze medals were struck but not reported in the annual list of medals struck.

...and that's it. Most of the other medals described by Julian were actually described, with obverse and reverse designs and full legends, diameter, and so on. Many of them are pictured. This has nothing.

The 1986 Price Guide to Julian, produced by Rich Hartzog, has pictures for many of the medals that were unpictured in the original book. There is no picture for SC-1 in the price guide either. For selected medals, the price guide also lists a count of auction appearances located by Carl Carlson. There are no auction records listed.

As far as I can tell, the mint records say that some medals were struck, but nobody had found one even to know what they looked like. The paper money folks have a term for this, SENC (Surviving Example Not Confirmed), for cases where they know that a note was issued by a particular bank but where nobody has located a copy.

I'm very happy (very happy! very happy!) to report that Julian SC-1 is now CONFIRMED!

Obv: Male bust facing left, with MITCHELL on truncation. Above around VERBA ANIMI PROFERRE
Rev: Above araound ADAMS ACADEMY / AWARDED TO / [space for engraved name and year]. slightly curved FOR EXCELLENCE IN / READING AND / below around SPEAKING
36.5mm, 29.0g

Yes, it is scuffed and has some rim dings, but you do not hear me complaining!

And the rip part? This is how the seller described it: "PICTURE MAKES IT LOOK DULL IT'S SHINIER.I'M THINKING MAYBE IT IS BRASS...I FOUND MEDAL IN A BOX WITH OTHER THINGS, COMPARED TO SOME OF OTHER THINGS IT IS PRETTY CLEAN NO RUST OR CORROSION." Apparently everyone else believed him when he said it was brass. I paid $65. Whee!

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rah1959
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 7:42 PM

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WOW! Cool Beans......what else can I say....

Good for you!

RAH

tmot99
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 7:45 PM

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Unbelievable! Now that's a rip!

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Tmot99

My 1893 World's Columbian Expo Elongated Type Set and medals at www.1893columbianexpo.com

numisma
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 7:55 PM

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Wow. Very cool medal. I think his descendants are still living in Quincy, Mass., fyi.

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TheRaven
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 7:57 PM

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What might be the actual value of this medal?

How could they not tell it was gold.....

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jonathanb
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 8:02 PM

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<< What might be the actual value of this medal? >>

Less than you'd think. Supply is low, but demand for US Mint medals is even lower. It's not for sale so we're not going to find out anything exact, but I'd guess it would be in the $1500-$2000 range. That's not much premium, given that bullion value is roughly $750 for the gold alone.

I like the history, and the fact that there were only 16 struck. As long as I'm keeping it in any case, the "true" value isn't a big deal.

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coindeuce
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 8:03 PM

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YEWSUK!!

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TheRaven
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 8:08 PM

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I know the demand is low and the prices are not that high, but I was just curious on how big of a rip.....

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numisma
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 8:11 PM

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I would think that it is worth more than $2000, but you are the expert in this arena........

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jonathanb
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 8:30 PM

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I'm afraid that there are very few experts on gold mint medals, and I'm definitely not one of them!

For reference, here is a a 70.9g US Mint medal that sold at Heritage a year ago with its original case for $2990.

That's 2.28 troy ounces, and it sold for roughly 2x gold value. Others seem to be selling at similar ratios.

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coindeuce
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 8:34 PM

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I've been searching for a Gold strike of the Jesse Ketchum/Buffalo Schools medal(SC-18) for years. Many of them were melted during the bull run on gold in the '80's.

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Keets,kryptonitecomics,KSteelheader,LasVegasTeddy,LeeG,
LucyBop,mach19,MisterTicToc,
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DUIGUY
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 9:27 PM

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<< YEWSUK!! >>

WOWZERS!! Yepper, YOU SUCK !!

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Of things I all the lost, my most I miss the mind !!

I was born with nothing, and I still have most of nothing left .

jonathanb
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 9:31 PM

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Stack's had a gold Ketchum medal (SC-15) in their 1991 Fixed Price List. Serial number 37 on the medal, 1060 grains = 68.69 grams. They were asking $1500 at the time.

That was a nice catalog. On a quick count, it contained 4 Mint medals in gold, plus another 6 of the little presidential medalettes in gold.

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coinsarefun
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Wednesday December 19, 2007 11:40 PM

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<< I'm afraid that there are very few experts on gold mint medals, and I'm definitely not one of them!

For reference, here is a a 70.9g US Mint medal that sold at Heritage a year ago with its original case for $2990.

That's 2.28 troy ounces, and it sold for roughly 2x gold value. Others seem to be selling at similar ratios. >>

OMG, I am in love(with the medal)
That thing is beautiful

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CaptHenway
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Thursday December 20, 2007 6:39 AM

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Ten-Four! That's a big YOU SUCK!!! good buddy!
Over!

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denga
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Thursday December 20, 2007 6:47 AM

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Congratulations on an extraordinary find!

Denga

291fifth
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Thursday December 20, 2007 7:00 AM

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Knowledge pays. On a much lesser scale I picked up the .999 silver 1997 Krause Publications/ANA New York medal in its original holder earlier this year for $5. This medal was distributed at the ANA New York banquet and I had been looking for one in the original holder since the time it was issued. The medal isn't marked as silver (it is a one ounce round, 325 struck, all in silver) and the eBay seller insisted it wasn't silver. I knew better, and was also the only bidder.

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ipmman
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Thursday December 20, 2007 6:04 PM

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Great Find!!

jonathanb
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Thursday December 20, 2007 8:29 PM

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Thanks, all. I've uploaded new pictures that I'm a little happier with. This photography stuff is hard!

Someone commented tha they thought the bust might be Julius Caesar. Can anyone confirm, or offer an alternative?

The obverse legend is apparently half of a quote by Juvenal, "Verba animi proferra, et vitam impendere vero" - "To speak the words of the heart, and to stake one's life for the truth". My education is clearly lacking; I don't know who Juvenal was, besides obviously Roman. It would make sense for the bust to be of Juvenal also, but it doesn't seem to match the portraits I can find.

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STONE
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Thursday December 20, 2007 8:36 PM

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No doubt this deserves one of the BIGGEST YOU SUCK awards for the year.

SUPER CONGRATS!!!

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Variety Bust Quarter set (8 left)
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Bust Dime Cud set (11.5/30)
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