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First Steam Coining Press Medallette - Lord's Prayer On Reverse - 1877

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 Posted 07/07/2026  3:50 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add lahave56 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
This medal (or medalette if that's the right term) came to me in a lot of coins I bought some time ago tucked in one of those little paper coin envelopes. The owner is no longer with us. I thought it was neat but didn't dig further at the time.

The medal is silver. It's 18.64 mm in diameter, 1.86 mm thick, and weighs 3.54g. I haven't been able to find an exact match for it online although I have found ones with the same inscriptions even duplicating the hyphens in the Lord's prayer but being of a different composition or date. I also checked for something on the Token Catalog site but did not hit on anything. I was hoping someone on here might have better resources.

I've read about the George Soley pieces and maybe this is one. I've seen a couple instances of a similar medal with the Philadelphia mint building on the obverse dated 1832 posted in this subforum also.

Any information/thoughts are appreciated.


First-Steam-Coining-Press-Medallette---Lord's-Prayer-On-Reverse---1877
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Canada
140 Posts
 Posted 07/08/2026  12:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lahave56 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
While I am continuing to try to learn more about the piece in my OP I thought I'd share what I've been finding. None of it is definitive but I thought worth sharing.

The obverse of the medal refers to the main building of an international exhibition held in Philadelphia. The date on the medal is 1877. Indeed, there was an international exhibition held in Philadelphia but it was in 1876 not 1877.

Also, there was a man named George Soley who had acquired the first steam powered coining press used at the US Mint. He is referred to as a die sinker and is known for having produced medals at events of this sort with the Lord's prayer on the reverse between 1860-1880 according to an excerpt on https://en.numista.com/54974 describing one of these medals. This same medal was part of an earlier discussion in this subforum (https://goccf.com/t/479228). However, in the details about this exhibition I found on Wikipedia there is no mention of George Soley as an exhibitor.

I have also seen pictures posted on another coin collectors message board that have the same details as my piece but one seems to be copper-like and one maybe silver. The copper-like one is dated 1877 and the silver one 1876. Even the described sizes are consistent with mine. I'm not sure if it's appropriate for me to re-post those pictures here so I won't unless it's useful and staff say it's acceptable.

I have also seen other medals of this type attributed to Soley with obverses showing various President's of the time (e.g. Grant, McKinley)

This first coining press ultimately was donated to the ANA by Soley's widow after his death. The ANA had plans to strike some new medals in gold, silver, and copper for their summer seminar in 2000 according to a news release (https://www.money.org/ana-accepts-m...team-press/) . The news release suggests that these medals would be 27mm not 18 and not date is mentioned. The release also states "After his death, Soley's widow gave the press to The Franklin Institute Science Museum, which electrified it and struck medals for visitors to its museum in Philadelphia. " but does not give a date for when this took place.

Anyway, it seems like I'm all over the target but can't find the bullseye.
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 07/08/2026  1:43 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Very interesting example and thank you for sharing what you have found!
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Canada
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 Posted 07/09/2026  11:19 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lahave56 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I found another candidate match for this medal on the Smithsonian web site.

https://americanhistory.si.edu/coll...nmah_1095269

At this point, I need to have the medal tested in order to confirm it's composition. I think I've finally found a place that will be able to do it for me. So, I'll be able to get a result on that Alaska gold token I've been wondering about as well.

Stay tuned and I will post results when I have them.



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 Posted 07/10/2026  12:48 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add smat45 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
You have a lot in the pot...
Keep cooking!
I love the aroma.
smat
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Canada
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 Posted 07/10/2026  09:57 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lahave56 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks @smat45 I think it's rabbit stew because I've definitely fallen down the rabbit hole
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Canada
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 Posted 07/10/2026  2:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lahave56 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Continuing down the rabbit hole.... a couple new things

I found an online archive of Pennsylvania newspapers covering the period of the 1876 Exhibition and found the following reference in an 1877 edition of one of the papers.
First-Steam-Coining-Press-Medallette---Lord's-Prayer-On-Reverse---1877

This gives credence to an international exhibition event in the main building in 1877 also.

I've been looking at the following composite comparing the details of my medal with the one I found at the Smithsonian. I know die transfers are possible but I can't tell if this is one. Little details like the end of the G's in coining and building on the obverse are the same for example. If it's a fake it's a good one I think.
First-Steam-Coining-Press-Medallette---Lord's-Prayer-On-Reverse---1877

The colors in the fields look similar although perhaps where the brass is more evident in the Smithsonian piece, in mine there is grime or is it patina.

Although I don't have any information on composition of the Smithsonian piece it will still be good to have that information for mine.

Comments/criticisms/witticisms welcome.
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Dearborn's Avatar
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Canada
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 Posted 07/11/2026  1:52 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lahave56 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks @Dearborn

@Some_Of_It I appreciate the heads up.

BTW, I had already seen some of that discussion and there is one medal there that looks exactly like mine except it looked to me like it might be a different metal composition (I thought bronze) but maybe I'm wrong about that. Until your comment I never thought why not just join that forum too and post a picture to see what folks in that thread say. Stupid me! Anyway, I just tried to register so we'll see if they accept me.

I've also used the portal at the Smithsonian to try to send a message to someone in the Numismatic collection area to see if they could give me any additional information on the example I saw there that looked exactly like mine. I know it's a long shot as they have alot going on besides requests through that portal but we'll see.

Stay tuned, I've got a feeling there are a few more twists and turns in this rabbit hole.
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