JAB-03 U.S. ARSENAL MEDAL Silver

28mm - Est. 1-3 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. In addition to the Bolen originals, a small number of copies in various metals were struck by Mason and 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.

This piece was acquired in the Stacks-Bowers February 2014 sale of the Neil Musante Collection and is the only example that I know of that has crossed the auction block in the past 20 years.