Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, 1801. Silver. Middle Size. Original dies. J. IP.3, Pr.39, B.16. Extremely Fine. 76.2mm. Rims 5.3 - 5.6mm thick. 766.2 gns. Lovely, pale silver gray on the obverse, lighter gray on the back, with some iridescent blue and light gold toning in places. A remarkable example. With original hanger and loop. Light obverse scratches, field dent in the upper left field on this side, some fairly serious scratches on Jefferson's cheek. Good reverse sharpness but fields tooled on that side. Extremely rare: the rarest of the three sizes. There may be as few as five of these in existence. The ANS specimen lacks its hanger and is crushed. There have been only two original specimens sold at public auction in the past 20 years, including the Dreyfuss piece (ex Connecticut Historical Society) that later appeared in Presidential's sale of December, 1988. The W.W.C. Wilson sale (1925) had a VF and there was one in the Bushnell sale. The Major General George Colbert specimen is unaccounted for. The Smithsonian lacked an example of this medal.
There are a handful of middle size Jefferson's known in solid copper struck from the original dies. The reverse of the middle size medal broke and was replaced in 1866, the obverse is 1886. The obverse of the original die shows the period midway between A and D (on the later restrikes the period is closer to D). The original reverse die shows a die break from the Indian's thumb running up to the rim through the pipe bowl (the later restrike die is unbroken). This medal is also known in solid silver (reported by Belden and ANS) and solid copper (ANS) but of later date. The medal is also known as a matte silver restrike. There are two or three solid silver 76 mm Jefferson medals known, but all are restrikes and are easily identifiable as such (one appeared in PCAC's sale of December 1993). The solid silver medal in the ANS Collection is said to have been awarded to ''Chief White Hair'' of the Great Osage in 1808.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
| |
| Hammer Price: $160,000.00
|
|