 James Monroe Indian Peace Medal, 1817. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP. 10, Pr.41, B.25. Very Good to Fine. Obverse signed FURST. F. 50.9mm. Rims 2.8 - 2.9mm thick. 847.9 gns. No apparent witness line. Light silver, once cleaned. Holed very near the top; no loop. Edge and rim bruise at left on obverse. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes. Although Carlson found nine auction records for a 51mm silver Monroe, the present cataloguer has not been so lucky and cannot point to one meaningful example. It is entirely likely that this is the rarest size for Monroe. The Carlson-Hartzog price suggestions for the 76mm and 51mm medals are so close to each other as to suggest their practical rarities are identical. Like the middle size Monroe, Mint records suggest the vast majority of this size was melted with only nine medals distributed during Monroe's presidency. That figure may be misleading, however, but given the paucity of auction records for this size it may not be all that far off the mark.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
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