Silver Assay Medals 1867 to 1963

Set Description
This set comprises all of the known officially produced US Mint struck assay medals. The medal does not have to be the officially presented variety to that year's assay commissioners, but this set does exclude unique pieces such as the 1892/1892 mules. It follows the PCGS Registry listing for Silver Assay medals but includes a couple of extra pieces that while rare, are not unique.

By definition, all Assay Medals are rare excepting the 1977 Pewter specimen that was available for sale to the public. Most were struck in quantities of less than forty, with many having a dozen or fewer known specimens. Sought after by numismatists almost since they were first issued (Copper in 1860), complete sets are unknown. Some collectors attempt to get one for each date, or collect medals issued during a certain era, or simply try to obtain as many different varieties as possible. I sought to reduce the number necessary by only seeking silver specimens. My reason was that silver specimens often exhibit attractive toning, while some of the later "goldine bronze" medals were not pleasing to my eye. To each his own.

Set Goals
A complete collection of non unique US Mint Assay Medals struck in silver. Provenance was desirable, as was attractive and original surfaces. Thin versus Thick planchets were not material enough to warrant inclusion as weight often varied depending on time between production. Some of the medals were restruck for collectors during the later part of the 1880s and 1890s.