James Buchanan Indian Peace Medal, 1857. Silver. First Size. J.IP.34, Pr.50, B. 50. Very Fine to Extremely Fine. Obverse signed S.ELLIS.SC; reverse signed J.WILLSON. DEL & SC. 75.7mm. Rims 4.6 - 4.9mm thick. 2,737.6 gns. Light silver gray on both sides with deep russet and gold around the protected areas and the rims. Neatly holed at the top; replacement wire loop. Fields extensively tooled on the front probably to remove an inscription. Cleaned but some toning remains on the back. Obverse rim chewed at lower right; tics in central reverse roundel. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes from both the signed and unsigned reverses.
Carlson's research yielded only 3 auction records for a silver 76mm Buchanan. The Dreyfuss:5170 example was graded VF but had the bow, quiver, and arrows tooled away from the back. Schenkel:4032 was a decent VF. The cataloguer has records of a further two silver 76mm Buchanans. The Bridge Collection example, lot 1064, was certified by ANAAB as genuine and original; it later reappeared in Sotheby's (New York) sale of December 14, 1999, lot 381. The cataloguer knows of only five recorded examples of the Buchanan 76mm medal in copper with the signed reverse (Dreyfuss:5171, Springfield II:4140, Presidential's Dusterberg sale, two others) and only two with the unsigned reverse (Dreyfuss:5172 and lot 514 of Presidential's December 6, 2003 sale), making the type perhaps the rarest of all copper Indian Peace medals. A copper shell of the signed reverse appeared as lot 288 in Presidential's sale of December, 1991.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
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