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alanvweinberg - Early American Medals

Early American Medals

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15 items

	George I Indian Trade Medal. c. 1714-1727. Betts 165. Jamieson 2-D. Gilt brass. 44mm × 40mm, 19.0 grams, with loop for suspension. Engraved by "TC" (signed truncation of bust on obverse). Full mint state, never been buried, full gilt with a trifle gilt worn off the highest relief points of the uniquely constructed integral suspension loop. Two extremely light file test marks on the rim to make sure it isn't gold, but revealing a "pink" metal beneath the gilt. And the lightest, almost imperceptible very faint "reeding marks" around some of the rim which appear to be file marks to finish the planchet, beneath the gilt. It seems they would be file marks rather than reeding as they cover perhaps only 1/3rd the circumferance. Note: 19.0 grams=293 grains For comparison see: Lots 1131-32 and 1135, Bowers & Merena 's Frederick Taylor auction, 1987. Taylor 1135 is mis-attributed as Jamieson 1-D; it's 2-D. Stack's Americana Sale , John Adams IPM coll'n Jan 12, 2009 lot 5026 a Jamieson 2-C AU without integral loop , much gilt at $41,400 to A. Terranova for client. ANS' The Medal in America, 1987 The IPM of King George I.
	George II Indian Peace Medal - Original. 1757. Silver. Diameter 44mm, 27.1 grams. Struck over a Spanish 8 real coin, the absolute diagnostic for an original in silver. There are so many restrikes and copies struck that this is proof positive as only the silver original was overstruck. One of the finest known with original suspension ring. Acquired in an upper NY state Samuel Cottone antique auction, it was found in & consigned from Canada. I was bidding on my cell phone while attending a "Great Western" gun show in Pomona, Ca perhaps 15 yrs ago. Some time later, I learned my immediate underbidder was my longtime friend and fellow collector Dick August of Prov, RI.
	Kittanning Destroyed - Original. 1756. Silver. Diameter 45mm, 43.1 grams. This is Gem Unc and very definitely the finest known original silver Kittanning. Mike Hodder, Stack's preeminent cataloguer & researcher, once told me he regarded the Kittanning Destroyed silver as the most desirable American medal in his opinion. Me? I think a large size oval Geo Washington Jos. Richardson-engraved IPM is.
	Libertas Americana Medal. Silver. Diameter 47mm, 61.6 grams. THE finest known and also the heaviest documented silver, according to Mike Hodder (evidently there is a wide variation in the thickness of planchets used). Not in the John Adams census. Deep watery, prooflike fields and beautifully lightly toned, immaculate surfaces. Superior to the Harry Bass silver with reverse pin scratches along the panther's back and superior to the spotted silver Unc recently out of Europe, discovered by Andy Lustig and sold at a 2007 Heritage auction to a consortium of dealers and resold for approx $200K. I've handled/examined both. Curiously, there are no Libertas American medals known without the die break or die defect "clump" on the obverse lower rim. Has anyone located any of the gold specimens struck? One would think the Paris Louvre or British Museum or the Smithsonian but nope. Ex-Virgil Brand.
	Perkins Washington Funeral Medal in glass bezel. 1799. Gold. Original gold- trimmed glass locket enclosing this prooflike, uniface Baker 169 Jacob Perkins Newburyport Mass Geo Wash. Funeral shell. These shells were struck to be worn in ladies' lockets and brooches (like PCAC's pearl brooch) or inserted in small frames (like the US Sup Ct. Chief Justice John Marshall framed gem). A few were holed for suspension (Matthew Stickney specimen) and the vast majority of the 20 or so known pcs are "raw" - standing alone and quite fragile.
	John Adams - Pattern Presidential Campaign or Inaugural Medal. 1800. Copper. Diameter 39mm, 21.3 grams. An incredible rarity, so impressive that John Ford Jr wrote an article on this very medal in an early Bowers & Merena house organ. The resemblance between the size, fabric and die style of this medal to the 1792 Birch cent is remarkable. Yet it was designed and struck by 1799-1800 Boston diesinker A. Peasley (signed on the reverse). This is apparently a pattern for a John Adams Presidential medal or a campaign medal as it announces that Adams was Vice President in 1796 (under Washington) and sought to be President in 1800. Adams became our 2nd President in 1796 and sought re-election as a Federalist in 1800. He lost to Thomas Jefferson. The only other specimen I know of is a specimen that Kagin auctioned at a San Diego ANA in 1987-88 which had 1/3rd of the planchet straight-cut off and a deep disfiguring X across the remaining obv- clearly an intentional cancellation of a medal that should never have been. Anton claims he has another which is unseen. A great rarity and ex-Maurice Gould (Boston) estate.
	Thomas Jefferson Large Size Indian Peace Medal. Silver. 110mm × 100mm. The finest known of the largest size "shell" (hollow) 1801 US Mint-struck Jefferson IPM's. Finer than LaRiviere's, finer than Ford's. Gem Prooflike Unc. Ex-Stack's privately to Laird Park decades ago, according to Tony Terranova who observed the transaction in the store. Laird U. Park, Jr. At 6'5" tall, was an imposing & distinguished-looking, quite knowledgable, wealthy Philadelphia collector of American colonial coins, selected early American historical medals, and early American books, maps and autographed documents of the highest rarity & value. His colonial coin coll'n - one of the finest assembled including an Unc. 1792 Birch cent (ex Chas. Jay coll'n)- was auctioned by Stack's in NYC on May 26, 1976. Park's library was auctioned by Sotheby's in NYC Nov 29, 2000. Buried in the middle of the thick library auction catalogue, unannounced to the numismatic world, were 6 lots of rare American medals, including this huge TJ IPM. Tony Terranova bought it and placed it in his bourse case at the following early January 2001 FUN Orlando, Fla coin show. During setup, out of the corner of my eye, this medal literally stopped me in my tracks. "Is this real?" I asked Tony, knowing that it was but astonished by its remarkable appearance. I think it took me 30 seconds to decide I had to have it. The cover plate specimen to Bowers/Jaeger's 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens book. Believed to be Thomas Jefferson's personal medal as he collected medals, tokens & Indian "vocabularies" and this medal was clearly unissued. One of the most impressive die-struck early American medals known and unique in US Mint-struck medal construction as a hollow multi-piece shell - obv and rev struck plates surrounded by separately applied hi-relief rim and suspension loop. The US Mint did not have presses capable of striking a solid medal this size in 1801.
	Jefferson Inaugural Medal. Silver. Diameter 44mm, 44.2 grams. 1801. Gem toned silver proof and finest known. Ex Joe Brown political coll'n privately. Finer than the best in Ford. Designed/signed by John Reich, struck at the US Mint. Perhaps ten known in silver but sought after and very difficult to acquire in silver or white metal in nice condition. I've never seen a bronze that is genuine.
	John Quincy Adams Inaugural Medal. 1825. Silver. Diameter 51mm, 54.1 grams. Excessively rare in any metal. The finest known - gem proof toned in silver. By Moritz Furst. Struck at the US Mint. A medal I sought for decades, ever since the badly spotted Unc silver sold for $9,000 in 1981 at Garrett/JHU to Bill Anton. Three known in silver with perhaps 6-7 known in white metal. I have never seen a genuine bronze. One of the classic rarity early American mint medals.
	John Jacob Astor Fur Trade Medal. Gilt bronze. Diameter 64mm. Struck in the 1840's and one of the great rarities of early American medals. This is the finest known , gilt-bronze and comes with an ancient museum ticket. Rarer than even its counterpart in silver. I simply can't believe I own this - in any condition!.
	New York, Adelhaide Engraved Medal. 1808. Silver. Diameter 68mm, 38.9 grams. Unique and hand-engraved. Visibly impressive size and unusual captivating obv and rev images. Consigned to a Stack's foreign coin auction (I'm lucky I spotted it) straight out of Europe. No prior auction or collection history. Finely reeded edge. An 1808 Amsterdam / New York ("New Amsterdam")Dutch/American medal. Certainly not in any other collection and probably made for the Captain of the Adelhaide (or his wife or sponsoring company). Reeded edge.
	City of Charleston to the Charleston Company of Volunteers in Mexico. Silver. 70mm × 55mm, 76.5 grams. The very rare City of Charleston (So Carolina) Mexican War medal which, I believe, only exists in silver. Far, far rarer than the NY Mexican War medal which exists in brz, silver and gold. I've seen perhaps a total of 3-4 of these silver City of Charleston medals in 5 decades and this is the finest. Ex Garrett/JHU 1981 where I was Ford's immediate underbidder, I ended up acquiring it in Ford decades later for approx the same price as Ford paid!.
	City of New York To The Regiment of Volunteers in Mexico. Silver. Diameter 51mm, 65.1 grams. Most of these are hand-inscribed in the rev field to the Mexican War veteran. This is uninscribed but was so pristine I didn't care. Acquired at an early Pomona, Ca "Great Western " gun show which yielded so many medallic treasures when it was in 3 x a year operation. In their wisdom, Los Angeles County supervisors closed the gun show down as, accrding to them, too many gang members were buying automatic weapons there - despite an overwhelming attendance of off-duty law enforcement buying and selling at the show. Another good Governmental decision.
	1783 Washington / Franklin Silver Medal by John Reich. Silver. Engraved by John Reich. Julian CM 5, Betts 617, Baker 58. Superb silver proof engraved by John Reich (tiny R on GW shoulder), commissioned by Joseph Sansom in 1805 as 1 of a series of Sansom medals, struck on prior paid subscription by the Phila U.S. Mint in 1805. In its original silver case collar, 38.3 grams 44 mm, inside a silver cap case (an add'l 13.3 grms) engraved Medallic History of the American Revolution. Silversmith hallmark B & S inside case lid. Ex Pook & Pook, Pa antique auction house 6/16/11 lot 375. Prior to that a centuries- old Pa family who also auctioned a Presidency Relinquished silver similarly-cased Baker 71 Sanson/Reich original several yrs prior with Pook. The finest known Baker 58 silver of perhaps a total known population of 8-10 in silver with perhaps only 2-3 known in original cases.
	New York Volunteers Mexican-American War Award Medal. 1853. Gold, 900 Fine. Diameter 51.5mm, 71.8 grams. Unmarked, but probably struck from coin gold.900 fine. Integral jump ring at 12 o'clock, fancy hanger in the shape of a vertical figure-eight with a hand-engraved and decorated detailed belt charm attached. Entirely hand-engraved with designs imitative of the die struck medal authorized by the Common Council of the City of New York, designed by C.C. Wright. Legends unique to this medal : on obverse CHERUBUSCO, CHAPULTEPEC, VERA CRUZ, CERRO GORDO, CONTRERAS, GARITA DE BELIN around the periphery, 1846-48 below the central device of America heaving a thunderbolt into Vera Cruz. On the reverse, the periphery reads: "Presented by the New York Volunteers, To Bv't Brig. Gen. Ward B. Burnett." around the seal of the City of New York. Beautifully engraved in banknote-style intaglio on flat fields surrounded by a separate, fitted high square raised rim. Unlike the struck medals presented by the City of New York in 1848, this piece does not bear the signature of C.C. Wright who might well have engraved this medal as it is in the finest engraved style with great skill. Out of numismatic circulation for more than one and one half centuries, this medal was in posession of General Burnett's family descendants until auctioned in Aug 2012 and was previously unknown and unpublished. Provenance: StacksBowers; August 2012 Philadelphia ANA World's Fair of Money Auction, lot 11133