 James Garfield Indian Peace Medal, 1881. Silver. J.IP.44, Pr.55, B.59. About Uncirculated. Obverse signed by Charles E. Barber; reverse signed by George T. Morgan. 75.0x58.5mm. Rims uniformly 5.3mm thick. 2,029.9 gns. A lovely example of this very rare medal, one of just 28 known to have been struck and distributed to native American recipients. This piece is richly toned in a fairly even medium silver gray shade. It was cleaned at one time. The hole was amateurishly drilled from each side and was not done at the Mint; these may not have been distributed already holed for wearing. This size is known in silver originals and matte silver restrikes and yellow bronze restrikes.
Carlson's research yielded only 4 auction records for just 2 specimens known to him of what he believed to have been an original oval silver Garfield. The present cataloguer has no other auction records for one besides this piece, ex Garrett:1930. The Bridge Collection contained a Choice EF heavyweight silver example with an integral loop struck from a reverse that had a small S-shaped mark in the field right of the chimney. Described as ''Extremely rare, probably unique,'' it sold for $1,100. Dreyfuss:5189 was a 20th c. matte silver restrike.
Ex Fernand David Collection (J. Schulman, March 11, 1930, lot 411), Garrett Collection (Bowers & Ruddy, March 25, 1981, lot 1930).
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