JAB-16 WASHINGTON / SOLDIER'S FAIR Tin

28mm - 350 struck
Dies cut in 1864

Over 17,000 soldiers from New England and Western New York were treated for their injuries in Springfield, having returned from the battlefield on trains that passed through the city. The tin JAB-16 medals were struck by Bolen at the December 1864 Soldier's Fair, held to raise money for the Ladies Soldier's Aid Association and the Springfield Soldier's Rest. Medals were sold for $1.00 each and Bolen claims to have struck 350 of them. Most, but not all, were holed for suspension on a narrow red, white, and blue ribbon.

The large number struck make this the easiest to acquire of Bolen's medals. In March 2016, a NGC-62 piece sold on EBAY for $261. In June, an XF example was sold on EBAY for $255. A holed NGC AU-58 example was sold on EBAY for $185. The pieces are common enough that one should set their sights on an attractive specimen in a higher grade.