1798 AE Medal Season Three, The Home GW-69, BN MS(PCGS#784578)

Winter 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

2081

等级

SP58BN

价格

355,941

详细说明

Very Choice Seasons Medal in Bronze The Home Circa 1798 Washington Seasons Medal. The Home. Late reverse die state. Musante GW-69, Baker-172A, Julian IP-52. Copper. SP-58 (PCGS). 48.0 mm. 745.0 grains. Another superb Seasons medal in bronze, the third of three in the complete set which, in the Syd Martin Collection, stands out as a particularly noteworthy accomplishment. Not only are all three of these challenging types present, they are exceptional specimens. This is largely rich chocolate brown with generous steel blue and gold mottling through the fields. Glossy, with substantial prooflike character remaining in the fields. Boldly struck and so well preserved that every fine detail may be discerned. This includes light spalling across much of the devices, particularly around the hearth and baby. As this medal was produced with no integral hanger and it is the later die state with a chip in the loop of the D of PRESIDENT, it would be easy to surmise it to be a later restrike for collectors. Though it is the later of the observed die states, this also occurs on known presented pieces with hangers. Likewise, close study of the obviously original, presented silver Home medal in the previous lot reveals that this spalling occurred early, even before the late-state break in the reverse D. Traces of the spalling can be detected on the early silver medal in the tighter recesses. As with all the Seasons medals offered here, tiny breaks connected the E and O of GEO and the N and G of WASHINGTON. These breaks were corrected by the hand of the maker on this medal, as with all but two of the silver pieces offered here. As mentioned in a previous description, this is but an interesting detail that speaks to a remarkable degree of quality control in the shop where these rare medals were struck. This is one of just 16 survivors in the writer’s Census, and it is easily one of the two or three finest examples known in terms of overall condition. It is probably worth mentioning here for anyone who might consider waiting for a nice Native-issued piece with a hanger, just a single example has been observed with its original suspension loop intact. Additional information pertaining to this lot: The Seasons Medals When William Spohn Baker set out to systematically catalog the enthusiastically collected and ever-growing body of Washington medals in his 1885 book, Medallic Portraits of Washington, he focused primarily, as the title suggests, on the portraits of George Washington found on coins, tokens and medals. The Seasons medals bear no such portraits, yet Baker included these in his reference in recognition of their historical importance and long-standing acceptance by collectors of Washington medals as inextricable entries into the series. Baker was a consummate historian and Washington scholar, so it is easy to understand why these medals would have been appreciated by him, perhaps to an even greater degree than by other collectors of the time. Baker introduced these medals, in part, as follows: "They were unquestionably used as Indian Peace medals, the designs referring to different phases of civilized life, being intended to attract attention to its comforts and advantages, and to induce them to make a change in their habits of living." Somewhat surprisingly considering the Washington scholar that Baker was, he did not mention that the direct inspiration for the designs of these medals was from George Washington's own pen. On August 29, 1796, George Washington wrote a letter to the Cherokee Nation, the complete text of which is easily found on the website of the National Archives. The letter was meant to address relations with the Cherokee by way of instruction as to how they might improve their standing as peaceful neighbors of the white settlers. It is a fascinating read for its insights into Washington's thoughtful manner, but also into the decidedly inconsiderate and absolute approach the administration took toward the Native peoples. It was clearly expected that they would abandon their own customs in favor of those practiced by white settlers. Washington was specific and presented his own personal desires to retire to his plantation as guidance for how the Cherokee might best live in peace and prosperity. He described the advantages of expanding livestock and crops and that "your wives and daughters can soon learn to spin and to weave." He summarized his detailed proposals as follows: "What I have recommended to you I am myself going to do. After a few moons are passed, I shall leave the great town, and retire to my farm. There I shall attend to the means of increasing my cattle, sheep, and other useful animals, to the growing of corn, wheat & other grain, and to the employing of women in spinning and weaving: all which I have recommended to you, that you may be as comfortable & happy as plenty of food, cloathing [sic] & other good things can make you." Herein lie the direct inspirations for the Seasons medals, reinforced as such by the following passage from the same letter: "…before I retire, I shall speak to my beloved man, the Secretary of War, to get prepared some medals, to be given to such Cherokees as by following my advice, shall best deserve them. For this purpose, Mr. Dinsmoore [Washington's Agent to the Cherokee Nation] is from time to time to visit every town in your Nation. He will give instructions to those who desire to learn what I have recommended. He will see what improvements are made; who are most industrious in raising cattle, in growing corn, wheat, cotton & flax, & in spinning and weaving: and on those who excel the rewards are to be bestowed." Less than two months later, on October 10, 1796, the Secretary of War wrote to Rufus King, the Washington administration's Minister to Great Britain, to procure the desired medals using sources in England. King called upon John Trumbull, the famous Revolutionary-era artist to design the medals, presumably based on a copy of Washington's letter to the Cherokee or notes taken therefrom, as Trumbull's sketches undeniably directly represent Washington's words. Unfortunately, by the time John Adams had been inaugurated President, on March 4, 1797, the Seasons medals were still not completed, much to the discomfort of Secretary of War James McHenry. According to Father Prucha, McHenry wrote on December 4, 1797, to Rufus King, "My poor Indians are very clamorous for their medals; more so indeed than for their plows." The medals were completed in 1798, and arrived from England in July of that year. There were reportedly 500 struck in silver and 200 struck in copper. According to Prucha, the first shipment included 326 silver medals. It is unclear which types were represented, but it was certainly an uneven distribution as this is not divisible by three. It is unknown when the copper impressions arrived. As the Seasons medals arrived so late, no new medals were specifically produced for the Adams administration, which must have distributed at least some of the Seasons medals to the Cherokee. Some or all of those that remained on hand are known to have been distributed under the Thomas Jefferson administration by the hands of Lewis and Clark. As such, the Seasons medals are tied not just to Washington, but to the first three presidential administrations as well as the famous journey of America's two most famous early explorers. Both silver and copper examples were issued with suspension loops that proved fragile, while at least a few of each were struck for medal cabinets, and never looped. The ANS has a set of the latter in silver, as does the British Museum. The Virgil Brand Estate produced a fabulous cased six-piece set (once in the Stickney cabinet). The copper specimens in the Baker Collection seem to have been such a presentation set as well. As far as we are aware, it is unknown who first called these the "Seasons Medals," but whoever it was didn't consider that these designs really have nothing to do with seasons, other than perhaps the spring planter. Augustus B. Sage did not use the term in his 1859 Henry Bogert sale, but by 1862 the term had been coined, as W. Elliot Woodward used it, in quotes, in his November sale of the Finotti Collection. Mount Vernon, Dec. 15, 1799. SIR, It is with inexpressible grief, that I have to announce to you the death of the great and good General Washington. He died last evening between 10 and 11 o'clock, after a short illness of about 24 hours. His disorder was an inflammatory sore throat, which proceeded from a cold; of which he made but little complaint on Friday. On Saturday morning, about 3 o'clock, he became ill. Doctor Craick attended him, in the morning, and Dr. Dick, of Alexandria, and Dr. Brown, of Port Tobacco, were soon after called in. Every medical assistance was offered; but without the desired effect. His last scene corresponded with the whole tenor of his life. Not a groan nor a complaint escaped him, in extreme distress. With perfect resignation, and a full possession of his reason, he closed his well spent life. I have the honour to be, &c. TOBIAS LEER. [sic] The President of the United States -As printed in the Lancaster Intelligencer, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, December 25, 1799. Provenance: From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex “B. Max Mehl” (George Justus), April 1964; John J. Ford, Jr; our (Stack’s) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XVI, October 2006, lot 106; Q. David Bowers; our (Stack’s) Americana Sale of September 2010, lot 4200; Anthony Terranova. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA. Click here to see Coins in Motion.[“Coins]