1797 (post-1844) John Adams Indian Peace Medal. Bronze. Third Size. Julian IP-1, Prucha-59. First Reverse. MS-63 BN (NGC). 51 mm. Lovely mahogany-bronze surfaces with slightly lighter patina on some of the highest points. A few faint marks are noted in the fields, but none stands out other than a couple of tiny spots. Satiny and lustrous throughout, but the texture of the fields is different enough to create a pleasant contrast.This is the "official" size for this issue, though, as noted in the previous lot description, no medals were struck bearing the name or image of John Adams for actual distribution to Native Americans. It has long been believed that Moritz Fürst cut this obverse die in the 1830s and that it was in the care of the Mint for some time, unused. There are clichés of the obverse from the 1840s, so we know that there was an effort at that time to put the die into use.The die was listed in Benjamin Franklin Peales 1841 <em>Register of the Medal Dies of the U.S. with Notes</em><em>, etc.… </em>so we know it was in the Mint at that time. However, in 1844 a grouping of U.S. Mint medals was struck for presentation to the Franklin Institute, and the list was published in the August 3, 1844 edition of <em>Niles Register</em>. The listing of Peace medals did not include a John Adams. In fact, it was specified therein that these dies had "not been constructed." We know this latter entry is incorrect, but the fact that the Adams medal was not included does indeed suggest that the obverse die was not yet in service, so the Adams medals were almost certainly struck no earlier than late 1844.
