 Franklin Pierce Indian Peace Medal, 1853. Silver. First Size. Original Large Date obverse. J.IP.32, Pr.49, B.48. About Uncirculated. Obverse signed S.ELLIS; reverse signed J.WILLSON. 76.2mm. Rims 4.6 - 5.0mm thick. 2,355.5 gns. Light silver gray in color on both sides with rose and pale blue iridescence. Obverse and reverse fields brightly reflective and semi-prooflike in places. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Rim dent and nick on the obverse at the upper right, another at the lower left on the back. Noticeably double struck on the obverse. This medal is known in silver originals with Large Date and matte silver restrikes with Small Date and copper restrikes with Large and Small Date obverse and settler reverse as well as the earlier Types I and II reverses, and aluminum restrikes with Small Date obverse and settler reverse.
Carlson's research yielded only 10 auction records for a silver 76mm Pierce, all covering the 8 or fewer examples known to him. Garrett's Large Date silver 76mm Pierce (lot 1926) was a nice EF and the one sold by Linett in June, 2002 (lot 1105) was a Large Date VF. LaRiviere's Large Date silver 76mm Pierce was ex Sotheby's (New York) sale of November 21, 1991 and was a cleaned VF. The Bridge Collection Pierce was graded About Fine/VF and had been certified authentic and original by ANAAB. There was a silver 76mm Pierce in Stack's list published in the August, 1997 issue of the Maine Antique Digest. Mules in copper are confirmed for the Large Date/Type I reverse marriage (Presidential's sale of October 28, 2000, lot 409) and Large Date/Type II reverse (Dreyfuss:5166 and Presidential's sale of December 8, 1990, lot 56). Most cataloguers do not notice the complexities of the 76mm Pierce in copper. The present writer cannot confirm the existence of copper mules with the Small Date obverse married to either Type I or Type II reverse.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection, Michael Brand Zeddies on February 18, 1960.
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