(c.1798) Medal J-IP-51, GW-67 Silver Season One, The Shepherd MS(PCGS#606296)

Winter 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

2076

等级

AU58

价格

805,105

详细说明

Famous and Prized Seasons Medal in Silver The Shepherd Circa 1798 Washington Seasons Medal. The Shepherd. Late reverse die state. Musante GW-67, Baker-170, Julian IP-51. Silver. AU-58 (PCGS). 48.3 mm. 719.3 grains. A delightful example of this prized medal in silver. Lovely medium silver-gray surfaces are accented by soft pale blue and rose iridescence through the fields, while the tighter recesses close to the rims and elsewhere have toned deeper gray. Sharply struck with inviting definition that makes one want to take some time studying the intricately engraved details laid to steel by Conrad H. Kuchler, whose signature may be seen at the lower right exergue. Generous prooflike reflectivity in the fields accentuates the designs further and gives the medal outstanding visual appeal. The Seasons medals share a single reverse die, observed in two distinctive die states. The earliest seen has no break in the loop of the D in PRESIDENT, while the later state does. This may not be used to distinguish between original, Native awarded specimens and those for medal cabinets, but it does point to striking sequence, to a degree. This is from the late reverse state with crumbling in the upper left interior of the D. A break between the N and G of WASHINGTON, connecting these two letters has been removed from the medal by hand. This action was taken on four of the Syd Martin Seasons medals, excepting only the two early state, clearly issued medals from the Baker Collection. A similar smaller break connecting the E and O of GEO was not attended to on this medal, but was adjusted on others. Direct comparison of these medals reveals the nature of this post-striking adjustment, and it is clear that it was done at the time of production. It speaks to a remarkable degree of quality control for these medals, much more than might be expected, but certainly illustrative of the care taken by the firm of Boulton and Watt, which struck these medals in Birmingham, England. There is no evidence of a suspension hanger on this piece, suggesting it to be among those struck for collectors or gentlemen not related to the intended Native American purpose. One can easily envision those involved in the development of these medals desiring sets for themselves, and several medals do exist from this series without integral hangers, including a likely spectacular cased set of six that has not been seen in many years. For more than 150 years, a set of Seasons medals has been considered a marker of a truly great collection, for collectors of Washington medals, Peace medals, or even early American medals in general. Nearly every offering of a "set" of six includes both issued medals with hangers or remnants thereof, as well as presentation strikes like this one. However, no apology is ever made on either account, and most collectors will never own any of the Seasons medals, particularly in silver. This medal is one of just 15 confirmed specimens in the writer's census of survivors. 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. Provenance: From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from our May 2015 Rarities Sale, lot 41; our sale of August 2018, lot 42, via 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]