"...one of the finest artistic efforts ever struck at the mint"

jonathanb

I was going to wait for a good excuse to post this, but I've had this picture on my desktop for the past few days, and I just can't stop looking at it...

Julian PR-12 is the large-size (76 mm) presidential medal for Abraham Lincoln. It was restruck in the zillions during the 20th century in the crappy yellow bronze that the US Mint used at the time. I've had a restrike for a while. I picked it up in some bulk lot. It's nothing special.

That said, there is comment in Julian's book on US Mint medals. At the end of the discussion for PR-12, Julian wrote:

"Some numismatists, including the author of this work, consider the obverse of the Lincoln medal to be one of the finest artistic efforts ever struck at the mint."

I never understood that comment.

I just bought a specimen that isn't struck in crappy yellow bronze.

Now I understand.

DUIGUY

OUTSTANDING!!

CoinJunkie

I never realized that hair gels had arrived on the scene by that date!

Seriously, that is a very artistic portrait. High relief is a good thing.

JupitarCoins

I would like to buy one myself, where did you buy it from?

morgansforever

Beautiful piece, and a spot-on pic

Flatwoods

OUTSTANDING!!

I agree!

Deagle74

Love it!!!

lope208

Imagine if they put half that effort into our new coinage today. Even the wreath on the reverse in intricate and detailed. I love it!

golfer72

Awesome. Compare that to the current portrait on the penny. Not even close

BillJones

Here is an example of the piece in color. It's a shame that the mint got into the habit of sand blasting the surfaces of their medals. It started with the Matte Proof foolishness in the early 1900s, and when the mint found out that it was much cheaper to do it that way than bronzed finished, they continued.

ambro51

To those who have not seen this before, a current rendition is available from the mint for $38. It is a big chunk of metal....the press must be massive and the noise immense when this thing is struck The bust sits raised over 1/8 inch.


http://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=10722&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10196

jonathanb

<< <i>Here is an example of the piece in color. >>

Acutally, my picture is in color also. There were 38 struck in aluminum in 1892-1893, at a period when aluminum was just becoming economical for use like this (think about some of the excellent World's Coumbian Exposition pieces posted by tmot and madmarty). Mine weighs 63.8 grams. I assume that BillJones's weighs 100+ grams.



<< <i>I would like to buy one myself, where did you buy it from? >>

Ambro51 posted a link to the Mint website for a modern one. If you're patient, you can probably find one on eBay yin the $20 range (I checked last night, and there weren't any listed, which is a little unusual).

19th century bronze pieces with reflective surfaces (like the one posted by BillJones) are somewhat rarer. I have 6 auction records in the past 2 years, at prices ranging from under $300 to over $800.

If you want an aluminum piece like mine, I'm afraid you're out of luck. I only have a single auction record for an aluminum piece, in the monumental 1984 Dreyfuss sale. That one was unplated, so I don't know if it is the same as mine or a different specimen. (If anyone knows of other auction appearances, I'd love to hear about them). In any case, with only 38 struck there aren't too many that were ever out there, and I'm guessing that a lot of them have been mishandled over the years.


As several people have commented, the relief is amazing. Here is a side view looking down from 12:00:

Longacre

Amazing relief on that coin! A sticker for you.

DUIGUY

One sold by Heritage, reputed to be silver.

messydesk

Wow. That's cool! I wonder if any of today's mint engravers could, given the opportunity, execute something like that.

stinkinlincoln

Great thread!



That piece is amazing and a true work of art!

HTubbs

Very cool!

ambro51

What you get today for $38

commoncents05

Gorgeous!!

-Paul

BillJones

That piece for $38 looks better than most of the mint's modern "yellow bronze" medals, but old style looks better to me.

BTW to put things in context, I paid $277 late last year for the bronze medal I posted earlier in this thread.

ambro51

Yes, there are quite a few interesting medals from the mint...still available.

Aegis3

<< <i>[If you want an aluminum piece like mine, I'm afraid you're out of luck. I only have a single auction record for an aluminum piece, in the monumental 1984 Dreyfuss sale. That one was unplated, so I don't know if it is the same as mine or a different specimen. (If anyone knows of other auction appearances, I'd love to hear about them). >>



The Dreyfuss specimen reappeared in B&M's sale of the Rogers M Fred collection, lot 1283 graded PF-65 (Nov. 1995). It sold for $522.50. It's not a medal I've been tracking, so I don't have any other records.

DorkGirl

The one I have is smaller in diameter and I believe struck in copper.

Gemineye

A verry classy piece...!!!

coindeuce

Aficionados of mid to late 19th century Mint produced medals have a keen sense of the artistic skill of William Barber and his ability to create masterpieces of human portraits in high relief-one of the reasons for my intense focus on collecting his works for the past three years. Among his finest works as well, are PE-1 Louis Agassiz, with a right facing bust of Agassiz, CM-16 Emancipation Proclamation also with a right facing bust of Lincoln, CM-39 Pacific Railroad with a right facing bust of U.S. Grant, and SC-15 Buffalo Schools, with a left facing bust of Jesse Ketchum.

anablep

Beautiful medal.

True art.

FatMan

<< <i> >>

Great pic and illustration or high relief.

jonathanb

I had this for a couple of months, and every time I looked at it I freaked out that I would do something to mess up the soft aluminum. So I sent it to NGC, not so much because I cared about the grade, but simply so that I could get it into a nice mess-up-proof hard holder. Here it is in its new home, with a regular cent for scale: