 France. Louis Philippe. Donative medal, 1845. Obverse signed VATINELLE. Silver. 45.7mm. 747.6 gns. Rims 3.0 - 3.4mm thick. Paris Mint edge with pointing hand and ARGENT (June 1845 to October 1860). Bust left of the king; wreath within which neatly engraved DONNE Par Le ROI A Ke-che-us-sin. 1845. Choice Extremely Fine. Deeply toned. Neatly holed. Extremely rare as a donative type (there were certainly others), unique to this recipient. During 1837-38 George Catlin formed his ''Indian Gallery'' of artifacts and pictures and took it on tour across the northeast. In 1840 he opened the gallery in London. Needing a larger draw, Catlin joined forces with Arthur Rankin in 1843, hired Iowa Indians as actors, and staged shows for notables and the queen. In 1845 Catlin moved his gallery to Paris, where Louis Philippe gave him a room in the Louvre palace in which to stage his show. Given his ignorance of any obvious French political interest in native Americans in 1845, the cataloguer suggests the occasion for the presentation of this medal was the show Catlin staged for the king in the Louvre in 1845.
Ex Warren Baker, date not recorded; Joseph Mickley Collection (W.E. Woodward, October 28, 1867, lot 1002).
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