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Julian SC-1: Adams Academy US Mint GOLD medal (and a heck of a rip to boot)
jonathanb
Posts: 3,432 ✭✭✭✭✭
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!
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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Comments
Good for you!
RAH
Wow. Very cool medal. I think his descendants are still living in Quincy, Mass., fyi.
How could they not tell it was gold.....
<< <i>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.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
I would think that it is worth more than $2000, but you are the expert in this arena........
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.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.americanlegacycoins.com
<< <i>YEWSUK!!
WOWZERS!! Yepper, YOU SUCK !!
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
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.
<< <i>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
.
CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
Over!
Denga
Great Find!!
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.
SUPER CONGRATS!!!
The bust does resemble Julius Caesar, now that you mention it.
If that ain't Julius Caesar, the resemblance is an uncanny coincidence.