Anyone buying the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Silver Medal from the Mint on May 1st?
Goldbully
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Pretty cool silver medal from the Mint on May 1st. Anyone interested?
I'm in for one.
edited to add: I assume this medal will be offered every year.(correct me if I'm wrong)
Silver Presidential Medal for Lincoln
Numismatic News Staff
Its obverse design features a portrait of Lincoln with the inscription “ABRAHAM LINCOLN” centered along the border. The reverse features a wreath of oak and laurel within a pearled ring with the inscription “INAUGURATED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 4, 1861. SECOND TERM MARCH 4, 1865. ASSASSINATED APRIL 14, 1865.” Within the wreath is a spray of pine and cedar, circled by a serpent with its tail in its mouth – the Egyptian symbol of eternity and immortality.
NN PR........... https://www.numismaticnews.net/community/silver-presidential-medal-for-lincoln
1 troy ounce 99.9% silver
$75.00
Comments
Every year. Been happening for years. Started with Washington. I was going to buy one until I checked the mint website and eBay sold listings. Most issues are still available from the mint and eBay sales show graded examples for the issue price. These are very unpopular and a losing proposition. That being said, if you like them then get one. I don’t buy because I care about retaining value but it does cross my mind. I’m a no go on these. Thanks 🙏
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
I’m interested in anything Lincoln myself
But may wait to buy a graded one off eBay
Nice looking medal, but I will not buy one - just not interested in the series. Cheers, RickO
I too like Lincoln. However, I do not particularly like the portrait on this medal. will wait and see what happens on eBay.
It appears that Mint is going to issue a total of four this year, Lincoln being the second. Johnson and Grant later this year.
I see they started with Buchanan #15 back in February.
I started getting these the first couple years they came out. Then the mint decided to almost double the price! I quit buying them. Actually I quit buying from the mint altogether!
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I have not purchased these medals, but might for Abraham Lincoln. I admire the man and consider him our greatest President. That is also why I enjoy collecting the Lincoln Cent series, mint state and proof finish.
I have the first 14 on the BST, no bites at almost 40% off mint prices.
When you consider VDB’s design and then look at the portrait on this medal
Then look at actual photos of Abe Lincoln
Somthing is off
Imagine a medal based off the 1909 design
I'm disappointed that this is just a silver rehash of the bronze medal they've been selling forever.
That said, I am in the Land of Lincoln so I suppose we're obligated to perhaps pick up a few. Not crazy about paying 3x spot for something with no mintage limits or order limits though. I think I'll have time to ponder it.
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
No.
I would much rather use $75 towards earlier medals that display timeless craftsmanship.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
I stopped dealing with the mint years ago.
No, I have the copper, 19th century version of that metal that was issued with the mahogany finish.
No.
Does it look like he has a tear dropping from his eye?
And what in the world is the font his name is written in???? Those A's are almost cryptic!
And will pick one up, but not happy about that price.
I will definitely get a unit ! Cheers
As much as I admire him, I can't get past the IMHO very poor depiction of him and secondly the price. Honestly, if they were giving them away, I'd pass. But I dislike the entire series as evidently many others agree.
Well, just Love coins, period.
Today is the day. I hope all those who buy this medal will be happy with their purchase.
I'm now 50-50 on buying.
Pass
The design doesn’t interest me. Pass.
this would be like buying a new car off the lot, heavy depreciation after first day of ownership
Hard pass but it does look like they put em in a clamshell case instead of the cardboard nightmare. I also studied the portrait and it’s ahhhh. Lacking in quality. Thanks 🙏
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
Pass. you can purchase the 1 5/16 inch diameter in bronze for $20. We also have a 3 inch bronze for $160. same designs, obverse and reverse.
I bought one this morning. I'm really not into the presidential medals, but Lincoln is special. Plus, I'm from the Land of Lincoln (Illinois), and everything here is Lincoln - especially downstate, where many deep-rooted families cite their relationships with the Lincoln family.
Yes, although I picked one up, I hate that font. Can't figure out what the heck it's supposed to be. Did they print like that in the 1860's?
Not a Lincoln fan at all. Pass.
The United States Mint jumped the gun on reporting sales...
ABRAHAM LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL SILVER MEDAL 12,849 +12,849
7844 medals remaining in the first round.
Nope. Lincoln started the War of Northern Aggression by not allowing the Southern states to secede when they had a clear legal right to do so. That war resulted in over 600,000 deaths, in both the North and the South.
Now I understand 🙃
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
That is indeed a shame. I wish the South would have seceded. Aside from other advantages, all those snowbirds flocking to Florida would need a passport and a resident card (if they don't renounce their U.S. citizenship). I may now have to return my Lincoln medal!
I have a subscription and get one as they come out.
All 14 that I sent in have come back a 70 at PCGS except the last Buchanan.
Probably a big waste of money, but it is hard for me to kick the habit.
National Commemorative Medals of the U.S. Mint:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/medals-tokens/national-commemorative-medals-united-states-mint-1940-present/alltimeset/195526
Sorry but the reality is that Lincoln had no choice but to try to preserve the Union; we were still a fairly young nation and we had the world, particularly England and France, looking at what we were doing. England even sent embedded observers into the Confederate army. Depending on the exact outcome, we could have been ripe for potential takeover. England still had a long memory from both the Revolution and the War of 1812.
Further, that "legal right" was not as clear as it would seem. The Constitution says nothing specifically about secession; in fact the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause actually implies the opposite, that a state has no right to sever the bond between a U.S. citizen and the national government, via secession or otherwise. Moot point though, because the Southern states decided not to fully pursue matters through legal means. They looked at the country as more of a gentlemen's club that they could simply join or leave as they wished. Confederate leadership also showed its incompetence by starting a conflict before they were adequately capitalized or supplied- pinning their success and creating currency on an economy backed mostly by cotton and looking for England to eventually side with them...both huge blunders. The Union's port blockade later cut off their movement and ability to generate income. They simply weren't prepared to rebel.
And a good many of those 600,000 deaths were unnecessary, caused in large part by the bloodlust of generals like Jackson et.al., early on and the stubbornness (if not incompetence) later on of Lee and others of his command who were still stuck in the past, using antiquated Napoleonic battle tactics against fortified positions with what were advanced weapons at the time. (To be fair, several generals on both sides were still using those tactics because most of them had fought side by side in the Mexican War and said strategy worked for them back at that time... but subsequent improvements in firearms and artillery made these strategies obsolete, leading to huge carnage.) People often counter this by mentioning Grant and Sherman, but Grant was the only commanding general who realized that the only way to get the South to capitulate was to outnumber them and keep pushing forward even after a setback. Sherman was following orders to break the back of the Confederacy and he did. That said, his infamous "march" would have been totally unnecessary had Jeff Davis and Lee not been hellbent on fighting to the last even after the huge losses at Gettysburg. I found it ironic that Lee himself personally disapproved of both secession and slavery but went on to voluntarily defend both at a horrendous cost in brave young men, most of whom were dirt farmers who didn't even know anyone who owned slaves, much less had any themselves... but were being used as cannon fodder by a group of Southern elites who saw their primary method of generating wealth being threatened. Slavery was a hot button issue long before the war, but Lincoln didn't initially want it to be about that. Preserving the Union was his primary goal. He finally ended up issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to galvanize the North and give black Americans something to fight for.
Sorry, didn't want this to turn into a novel, but the Civil War is something that I've put a lot of study into and always been fascinated with (in fact I'm taking my GF to Gettysburg next month, among other places). We've also dealt in a lot of CW memorabilia over the years and even put on a CW memorabilia show for around 7-8 years in the late 90s/early 2000s.
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
I read most all of Bruce Catton's books on the Civil War in High School and was quite impressed by the history and the details of the war he described.
Quite different than what is taught in many schools these days from what I understand.
National Commemorative Medals of the U.S. Mint:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/medals-tokens/national-commemorative-medals-united-states-mint-1940-present/alltimeset/195526
Got my Lincoln medal yesterday. Looks much better in hand, I like the matte finish.
This issue kind of reminds me of the Lincoln Coin and Chronicles set back in 2009, Except that one was extremely popular. I bought the 2009 set. But I will pass on this one.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/741432/the-official-united-states-mint-lincoln-coin-and-chronicles-set-ln6-on-sale-thurs-oct-15th/p1
telephoto 1
Sorry, didn't want this to turn into a novel, but the Civil War is something that I've put a lot of study into and always been fascinated with (in fact I'm taking my GF to Gettysburg next month, among other places). We've also dealt in a lot of CW memorabilia over the years and even put on a CW memorabilia show for around 7-8 years in the late 90s/early 2000s.
About 20 years ago, I had the opportunity to go to Gettysburg. It was quite moving experience. I thought about those young men who risked (and lost) their lives for causes in which they believed. I hope to go back some time.
I hear the electric map is not in service.
Yeah, someone else who's been there recently said that also. Oh well.
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
Lincoln was not the President of the Confederacy, so your argument, is moot, in the opinion of many.
There are those who believe Lincoln was a war criminal. The actual count
of casualities is over 1 million
Exactly which part would be moot?
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
Selling Andrew Jackson - see BST thread
That was May 2nd.
Today.....8261 medals remaining or should I say 8261 medals available.
Returns? New production run?
Perhaps lack of interest? It’s really a very poor design. Lincoln looks horrible. Thanks 🙏
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
I find it interesting that there are so many comments from folks indicating that they don’t like the design. The original medal was engraved by George T. Morgan sometime in the late 1880’s. According to Robert Julian in “Medals of the United States Mint The First Century 1792 - 1892”, this medal is considered by many to be “one of the finest artistic efforts ever struck at the mint.” He even uses an original example in one of the first pages of his work to depict what the mahogany bronze finish of early Mint medals looks like.I believe it’s the only color used within the book.
The silver version presently for sale is much smaller than the original and does not have the high relief of an original. Much of the design has been “enhanced” since reducing the medal erases much of the intricate detail. Unfortunately, this small silver format does not help the artistry.
If anyone is interested in the designs from this series, but think the new issues are too expensive, you can procure a 40-or-so piece bronze set (from Washington, usually through Reagan) in the 1 5/16 inch size for $40 or less on the secondary market. Try eBay. And if you want to procure them in the bronze 3 inch format, you can probably find a set, still in US Mint boxes for roughly $400 or so, also on the secondary market. The vast majority of the 1 5/16 bronze were produced in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The largest quantity of the 3 inch medals were manufactured in the 1960’s through 1980’s, though most of the 3 inch bronze medals have been in production since their original issuance, whether that was in the late 19th century or early 20th century.
Also, if anyone has a particular affinity for any of the earlier Presidential medal designs, I highly encourage you to seek out an original medal in mahogany finish. They are more expensive, but much more appealing.
And, by the way, if anyone wants a 1 5/16 inch bronze to go with their silver, PM me. Ive got one here that I can send you, free of charge.
Here is an original, struck in aluminum: