1885 United States Assay Commission Medal. By George T. Morgan. JK AC-28. Rarity-5. Copper. MS-64 BN (NGC).
33 mm. A warmly patinated mahogany-bronze example with intermingled blushes of autumn-brown evident in the fields as the surfaces rotate under a light. Direct viewing angles also call forth vivid cobalt blue undertones - highly attractive. A lone, faint carbon spot at the back of President Arthur's head is the only obvious impediment to an even higher numeric grade. While the Julian-Keusch reference reports that four silver medals were made from these dies, the authors are silent on the subject of the present metallic composition other than to write that "an unknown number of bronze restrikes were made in later years (probably after 1900)." This date as a whole appears to be rarer than the R-5 rating might imply, as this is the first example of JK AC-28 that we have offered since our (Stack's) November 2008 sale of the Ernest E. Keusch Collection. A fleeting bidding opportunity for the specialist.
From Heritage's CSNS Signature Auction of April 2013, lot 5295.

Estimate: $650