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Vividly Toned Silver 1857 James Buchanan Indian Peace Medal Offered in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries November Auction

​The E Pluribus Unum Collection Part 3, a featured collection of Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ November 2021 Showcase Auction, presents rarities from many genres. Among Indian Peace medals will be found a silver 1857 James Buchanan medal with the Fillmore-Pierce reverse. It is unclear when this was struck or for whom, but the handling marks clearly indicate that it has some age to it. It was likely produced for a collector in the late 19th century.

Mint records published by Robert Julian include some intriguing entries. In 1864 and 1865, there are reports of 10 bronzes being struck. Either entry could represent impressions from this reverse and mark an occasion where an extra was produced in silver. Records were not precisely maintained, and there are cases where the records state only that Peace medals were produced, without mention of a president. This happened in 1895/96, where seven Peace medals were struck in silver, perhaps featuring a variety of presidents. We do know for a fact that this medal is a great rarity in silver. It is the only example we are aware of in private hands, and the only one confirmed of a weight standard close to what would be appropriate for the 1850s or 1860s. Two others purported to be silver impressions are in the Crane Collection in Denver, but we have a weight for one that is much different than this piece and corresponds to that expected of a bronze impression. One Crane example is pierced, while the other has a suspension loop affixed to the edge (not unlike some silver restrikes of the oval series from the Dr. William Bridge Collection.)​

Coins in Motion seeks to enable collectors, bidders, and consignors to accurately appreciate how Stack’s Bowers Galleries coins look in hand. Ultra-high resolution animations depict how luster moves over the coin’s surfaces, while the rotating motion allows for any possible imperfections to be revealed. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is proud to have acquired Coins in Motion. To view our YouTube Playlist dedicated to Coins in Motion, click here. Videos are added weekly. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more updates here.

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