1871 Ulysses S. Grant Indian Peace Medal. Bronze. Julian IP-42, Prucha-53. MS-64 BN (NGC). 63.6 mm. 1688.1 grains. Perhaps one of the prettiest examples of this medal we recall having offered. Slightly reddish caramel brown dominates the palette, but the sharply contrasting prooflike fields display a perfect blend of subtle pastel hues, especially on the obverse. There are a few marks to restrain the technical grade, but the eye appeal is outstanding, nonetheless. While the silver originals of the Grant are the most plentiful of the issued medals, the same cannot be said of the bronzes. These are scarcer than the silver medals and the prices they have historically commanded have closed the gap between realizations for bronzes and silvers better than almost any other issue. In one sale, a bronze matched the price of a particularly rugged silver one, and that really cant be said for any other issue in this series. From the Ronald A. Slovick Family Collection. Earlier from Presidential Coin and Antiques sale of May 1985, lot 267.
