1817 James Madison Presidential Medal. White Metal. 63.9 mm. By Moritz Furst. Julian PR-3, Neuzil-43. Specimen-62 (PCGS).Light silver gray and essentially brilliant with beautifully reflective fields and a fine frosted texture on the devices. No tinpest interferes with the appearance thought a few tiny dark flecks may be seen under magnification. A couple of very gentle obverse rim bumps are noted but only for the sake of accuracy, as they are trivial and have virtually no bearing on the overall aesthetic of this lovely medal. An unusual medal, struck at the Mint though apparently the dies were not meant for marriage to each other; Christopher Neuzils monograph in the 1997 ANS COAC ("A Reckoning of Moritz Fursts American Medals" in The Medal in America, Volume 2) extensively details the peculiar production of this medal. The reverse die was apparently cut down in size to mate to this obverse by Furst; the original intended reverse is not known. Today this medal is quite rare, the fact that Ford owned three of these notwithstanding. All known are white metal, save for a silver specimen in the ANS Collection.
