Indian Peace Medals

Extremely Rare 1841 John Tyler Indian Peace Medal in Silver

The Second Size With ca. 1875 Presentation to Mrs. Alvin Adams of Adams Express Fame

1841 John Tyler Indian Peace Medal. Second Size. By Ferdinand Pettrich and John Reich. Julian IP-22, Prucha-45. Silver. Extremely Fine.

62.3 mm. 1561.2 grains. Pierced for suspension, as produced and issued. Medium silver-gray surfaces show hints of pleasing gold and sky blue in the protected areas. Generous remnants of underlying prooflike flash remain in the fields despite the numerous small surface nicks and bruises consistent with an issued Peace medal. The edge and rims seem to have borne the brunt of field wear, and the medal displays a very slight bend, not uncommon for these medals that often got intense use. Overall the aesthetic is very nice for such a medal that served its intended purpose, perhaps even ideal. Only 100 Tyler medals in this size are believed to have been produced, but it is unknown how many were officially distributed as, according to Prucha, nearly 45% (by weight) of the Tyler medals struck were returned to the Mint, unissued. These were melted and the resulting bullion was struck into medals for the next Presidential administration, that of James K. Polk. Decades ago, Carl Carlson had tracked only seven auction appearances of a second size Tyler (without notation of different specimens). We are aware of just seven examples today, three of which are in institutional collections. Of the four held privately, this example may be the most interesting, as it had a second life after its official, intended use as a Peace medal. A short silver chain attaches to this medal a small silver variant of a cross pattée, expertly engraved R.E. MACOMBER / OF / RICHMOND COMMANDERY / TO / MRS. / ALVIN / ADAMS. The Richmond Commandery was one of the largest Masonic Templar organizations in the south, and in 1875, embarked on a pilgrimage to Bunker Hill in celebration of the centennial of that Revolutionary War battle. The Commandery's northern excursion is recounted in great detail in the 1875 edition of The New England Freemason, describing the many stops made during their trip. One of the stop-offs was on the morning of June 19, 1875, when the Sir Knights of the Richmond Commandery paraded through the streets of Boston, stopping at the home of Mr. Alvin Adams, where they were feted and shown around the home, which included a display of "interesting relics." Adams was a prominent Bostonian and founder of Adams and Company, a forerunner of Adams Express, one of the earliest specialists in door to door rail freight service, which operates to this day. R.E. Macomber is listed as one of the Sir Knights on the pilgrimage to Bunker Hill and undoubtedly was at Adams' home on the morning of the 19th of June. Whether he presented this Peace medal to Adams' wife on that morning or sent it later as a gift is today unknown, as is his source for the medal. Was it a purchase in the numismatic marketplace or perhaps a piece he brought back from military service out west? A fascinating medal that has had three lives -- one around the neck of a Native American, another in the curio cabinet among the other "interesting relics" of a wealthy Bostonian, and a third in numismatic hands.

Ex R.E. Macomber to Mrs. Alvin Adams; Kessler-Spangenberger's NASCA Sale of April 1981, lot 1609; our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the David W. Dreyfuss Collection, April 1986, lot 5148; Rex Stark, 1986; Richard Ulbrich; Rex Stark FPL 1/2018 #1-H; Anthony Terranova; our Baltimore Auction of October 2018, lot 35.

Estimate: 15000