“1787” (ca, 1869) George Clinton Cent by J.A. Bolen. Musante JAB-37. Copper. MS-66 BN (PCGS).

26.7 mm. 159.0 grains. Exceptionally attractive light olive brown surfaces with rich orange red outlines remaining around some devices and through the legends. Lustrous and very pleasing with a few trivial spots and virtually no handling. One of just 40 believed to have been struck, a mintage given by Edwin Johnson in 1882 and matching that stated for the Excelsior copper copy offered above. As with the Excelsior type, this piece and a single muling, JAB M-11, were presented by Bolen to the ANS as of January 1870. He might have seen these as a set, which would suggest that the mintages were indeed the same in copper. This said, the AJN notice mentioned that "Mr. Bolen will furnish either of these pieces, in copper, at the price of Two Dollars…" so it is quite possible that individual orders made for an uneven final production number. In any case, the dies were said to have been canceled and presented to the Boston Numismatic Society, so restrikes are seemingly out of the question. All are Bolen originals, and some have probably either been lost or artificially worn to suggest greater age. All are very desirable entries into Bolen's body of works and are "extremely well done," as also mentioned in the AJN. This type was not in the January 2011 Bowers Collection offering or the Musante Collection.

From the E Pluribus Unum Collection.