JAB-03 ARSENAL MEDAL WITH SUN Tin

28mm Unknown number struck by Edwards

The dies for this medal were stuck in 1862, several months before Bolen served his mandatory three year enlistment at the U.S. Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. The dies were sold to George B. Mason and later to Dr. Frank Smith Edwards. Upon Edward's death, the dies were acquired by Edward Cogan. Cogan's widow donated them to the ANS, where they currently reside. Bolen did not strike any examples of this variety in Tin. All pieces in this metal were struck by Edwards.

The U.S. Armory at Springfield played an important role in the Union Civil War victory. Prior to the war, the Arsenal turned out 800 muskets a month. By the end of the war, in large part due to innovations in mass production, the Arsenal was turning out 1000 rifles a day. The Armory is currently a museum run by the National Park Service and is well worth a visit.

A NGC MS-61 piece sold for $175 in an October 2014 EBAY auction. It was only the forth and also the highest graded example of JAB-03 tin that I have seen offered for sale since I began collecting Bolen pieces in 1979.