Zachary Taylor Medal

[Brad]

This was part of that last lot I bought. 65MM, ~128GM. Seems to be a plated casting maybe iron? Were these replicated by mint? It is listed as mint medal no. 62 dated March 24th, 1879 on the US mint website but there is no mention of metals or quantities.

 

I have found a similar piece on HA.com that is bronzed copper, listed as Julian MI-22.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

[bill]

It appears to be a modern mint strike of the medal awarded to Taylor for the battle of Palo Alto in the Mexican-American War. The 1972 mint catalog lists it at $6 for 2.5 inch bronze medal (medal 421).

 

Julian notes one struck in gold for Taylor, otherwise in bronze. The early mint medals in bronze look distinctively different from the later light bronze strikings of the mint medals. Julian's records would indicate about 50 were struck in bronzr in the 1800s. I do not believe there are records for the modern era.

[Brad]

I had looked all over the net for info, not sure how that one got missed. The US mint website is very confusing looking in the archives.

 

Just found one listed on ebay after reading your post, just listed...LOL

 

So, why doesn't the mint have to stamp the word "copy" on its' reissued medals??????

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/1846-MAJOR-GENERAL-ZAC...%3A1%7C294%3A50

 

Good thing I only paid $20 for it.

 

Here is a related medal for Buena Vista, the real thing.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/MEXICAN-WAR-GEN-ZACHAR...%3A1%7C294%3A50

[bill]

Yep, that's the color of the 1800s bronze medals. Technically the modern mint medals are not copies because they were still being struck from the original dies and if they had to be replaced, they are still mint dies. The composition of the bronze formula changed with time. The French use privy marks that more closely place the later strikes to a more predictable time period.