Washington Oath of Allegiance medal Julian CM-2 in aluminum
jonathanb
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Sold at today's Stack's Bowers auction for a bit over $1,000 including premium (link). Julian lists this piece as having a mintage of only 3 pieces in aluminum, a figure that was mentioned in the lot listing.
Oddly, I now know of three pieces. The Massachusetts Historical Society has one, I bought one last year on eBay, and now there's this one. That means that either the mintage figure is incorrect, or the entire mintage is fully accounted for. My bet is that the mintage figure is incorrect.
How many US Mint products have well-documented mintage figures where every piece can be located today? Examples like the 1913 Liberty Nickel don't count -- "Everyone knows" that there were only five struck, but there's nothing official that says that.
Oddly, I now know of three pieces. The Massachusetts Historical Society has one, I bought one last year on eBay, and now there's this one. That means that either the mintage figure is incorrect, or the entire mintage is fully accounted for. My bet is that the mintage figure is incorrect.
How many US Mint products have well-documented mintage figures where every piece can be located today? Examples like the 1913 Liberty Nickel don't count -- "Everyone knows" that there were only five struck, but there's nothing official that says that.
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Well you'll have to thank Al Gore for inventing the worldwide web!
I won this piece today for a friend of mine that wasn't registered to bid at S/B I've also done a lot of homework on it in the past few days. I couldn't locate anything online in any archives for the last decade nor flipping through close to 100 major exonumia sale auctions catalogs back to the 1950's. I did see Julians mention of just 3 examples having been struck according to mintage records, but was surprised that Baker in his 1885 works had no mention of Aluminum until Fuld's revision in 1965.
But looking at it, the occassion strikes me as a made-up excuse to strike a medal.
Now, if there had been some scandal and they all cleaned up their act and went on the straight and narrow after that, and didn't keep making fantasy pieces, etc., etc., the thing might have some more legitimacy to it.
It could also be that this was a Civil War thing, that all the federal institutions were asking for oaths at this period. That's a bit more meaningful. But I bet the non-Mint government employees & officers didn't get medals for THEIR oaths of allegiance. The Mint guys were like well, we have this cool Washington bust from the Mint Cabinet medal we can re-use, and w/a simple reverse, voila!, we have a medal to give everyone. It must have been the director's idea, because his name is on it. If you think about it, putting his name on it with the ginormous bust of Washington on the other side is almost presumptuous. Supposedly it's all about the Constitution, Washington, God & Country, etc., and he has to elevate his name to the discussion at hand.
Am I reading this too critically?
The only other auction record I have is in lot 351 of the 6/1994 Presidential sale (for $262). The plate is pretty small, but I don't think it's the same specimen as the one that sold today.
<< <i>The three mentioned by Julian weren't struck until the 1891-2 fiscal year, so it makes sense that they weren't mentioned in the 1885 Baker edition.
The only other auction record I have is in lot 351 of the 6/1994 Presidential sale (for $262). The plate is pretty small, but I don't think it's the same specimen as the one that sold today. >>
Could I ask which PCAC number sale that is as I'll need to check a spread sheet to see if I have that one boxed up in storage?
three aluminum pieces mentioned were struck for some special use but there was nothing
to keep the coiner from striking a few extra specimens. These latter pieces would not have
been listed in the official records.
From the Western Reserve Historical Society.
U.S. Mint Oath of Allegiance Medal Study Group, 1861. Copper bronze (4), Aluminum (2). Uncirculated. Types as above (Baker-279). Copper examples are 4.4, 2.8, 2.3 and 2.2mm thick; Aluminum 2.7mm. Copper medals are rich mahogany, thickest with dramatic raised rim, Aluminum are silvery. 6 pieces.
Hammered at $260
<< <i>To add:
From the Western Reserve Historical Society.
U.S. Mint Oath of Allegiance Medal Study Group, 1861. Copper bronze (4), Aluminum (2). Uncirculated. Types as above (Baker-279). Copper examples are 4.4, 2.8, 2.3 and 2.2mm thick; Aluminum 2.7mm. Copper medals are rich mahogany, thickest with dramatic raised rim, Aluminum are silvery. 6 pieces.
Hammered at $260 >>
Thanks for this reference mmotx. I have two examples of this medal in copper, and the thickness varies substantially between them. I hope to establish a reason someday for the dramatic variance.
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