"1787" (ca. 1869) Eagle on Globe / Arms of New York muling by J.A. Bolen. Musante JAB M-12. Copper. Marked “B 5 STRUCK” on edge. MS-67+ RB (PCGS).

26.8 mm. 156.6 grains. Another extremely rare issue from Bolen's series of colonial copy die mulings. Superb surfaces exhibit rich rose and orange-red on the Excelsior side, just slightly fading to soft blue and violet in places. The Eagle on Globe side is somewhat more deeply toned in the same palette, but still with pleasing vibrant orange through the legends. The Eagle on Globe die is in the late state with a prominent break over the letters CUS of EBORACUS. This is also seen on the JAB-36 in the Musante Collection, in our February 2014 sale, and it appears to be a bit more advanced on that piece, though it is not present on the JAB-36 in this sale. If this is not a matter of die alignment (which is certainly possible), but actually an advancement of the break, this muling was struck sometime between the beginning and end of the 40 examples of JAB-36 reported struck. The most advanced state of the die is seen on the "Copper Plate" impression, JAB-37a. This muling is extremely rare, and we have no examples in our online archives. Musante was unable to find a single specimen. This is not surprising as Bolen clearly had little mind to distribute these beyond a close group of associates. This one, his personally retained reference piece, bears the mintage of five on the edge. Board Position: C 3/3

From the E Pluribus Unum Collection. Earlier from the personal reference collection of John Adams Bolen.