1837 Martin Van Buren Indian Peace Medal. Silver. Third Size. Julian IP-19. Prucha-44. Choice Extremely Fine.

50.9 mm. 795.8 grains. Pierced for suspension as usual, with what is likely the original loop still intact. The writer knows of just two with a loops still affixed, and this is the only example held privately. A delightfully sharp medal with bold details throughout, suggestive that it was not worn for long. However, it clearly is a presented medal, and the typical scattered surface marks and minor rim nicks attest to that. A somewhat dark but fairly uniform gray patina with superficial natural deposits clinging to the fields in the protected areas. Though no longer prooflike as it undoubtedly was at the time of presentation, this piece is worn so little that the fine wire rims are still visible. Struck from the early state of the reverse die with a small die chip outside of inner rim border just below 3:00. This die was used to strike all of the medals of this size bearing dates 1809 through 1845 and would eventually develop a secondary break beneath that just described. All pieces from this die exhibiting two breaks at 3:00 were struck after 1849. This, however, is clearly an original. Carl Carlson recorded only five auction records for this size, the smallest number of appearances for the three sizes in silver. John Ford owned three small-size Van Burens in silver, compared to two of the medium size and four of the largest size. The Ford appearances correspond closely to what the writer has found in his survey of surviving specimens. Thirteen specimens have been accounted for, one of which is suspected but not confirmed by an image. Four of these are in institutional collections at the ANS, Colonial Williamsburg, Massachusetts Historical Society and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis.

From the E Pluribus Unum Collection. Earlier from the F.C.C. Boyd Estate; John J. Ford, Jr.; our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XVI, October 2006, lot 135.