"1694" AE Tkn Elephant, Carolina, Bolen Copy, RB MS(PCGS#698198)
"1694" AE Tkn Elephant, Carolina, Bolen Copy, RB MS (PCGS#698198)
March 2020 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 100
- 等级
- MS64RB
- 价格
- 7,239
- 详细说明
- “1694” (ca. 1869) Carolina Elephant token copy by J.A. Bolen. Copper. Musante JAB-33, Kenney-5, W-14300. MS-64RB (PCGS). Light olive brown with generous faded orange remaining on both sides, but especially so on the obverse. A small patina spot is noted in the upper right obverse field, while a small void is seen on the reverse over P of PRESERVE. This appears as made, and is likely the result of an unretained strike-through. Nicely struck and handsome. Bolen is believed to have struck just 40 examples, this from his own punch-mark in the edge of his personal specimen we sold years ago, reading "B" (for Bronze) and "40 STRUCK." Bolen marked several of his own examples this way, presumably as a less ephemeral record-keeping of what he had made. The dies are said to have been canceled by Bolen and given to the Boston Numismatic Society. As printed in the Musante reference, noted contemporary numismatist Charles Anthon had this to say about Bolen, "The execution of both pieces is masterly, and gives continued evidence of the remarkable talent which their artist is acknowledged to possess. We hope that he may ere long find worthy employment on some original and important work." Little did Anthon imagine that aside from the large Letter to Hamilton and Pioneer Baseball Club medals, Bolen's struck copies of colonial issues would one day become his most sought-after accomplishments.