1857 James Buchanan Indian Peace Medal. Silver. Second Size. Julian IP-35, Prucha-50. Choice Very Fine. 62.9 mm. 1594.0 grains. Pierced for suspension as issued, with a crude replacement ring. Somewhat deep steel gray with lighter highlights on the more exposed reliefs and a bit of surface debris concentrated around the right bust of Buchanan. Only lightly worn with the normal array of light scattered marks but none really stand out as worthy of mention on this very pleasing example.<p>Following the plan for the Fillmore and Pierce medals, only two sizes were issued for the Buchanan administration. There were reportedly 69 large-size medals struck and 74 of this size, and according to Prucha there was no indication that any were returned and melted. This suggests that the rarities of the two sizes today should be about equal. Carl Carlson noted three auction records for large-size medals and seven records for this size, in a survey published in 1986. However, like his information provided for most other issues, there was no report as to how many different medals were represented in these auction records. The present writer has identified 13 different specimens, with five of them in institutional collections. As such, this is a bit rarer than the first-size medals. From the Ronald A. Slovick Family Collection. Earlier from Sothebys sale of May 2005, part of lot 169, a group lot of four, this being the only genuine medal.
