1814 Brigadier General Eleazer W. Ripley Medal Muling. Bronze. 65 mm. Julian MI-19 / MI-18. Mint State.This is an attractive medal whose production probably dates to 1840 to 1860. Both sides are reflective in the fields with dominant reddish-mahogany patina. Swirls of sandy-gold in and around the central reverse are noted, as are a few extremely minor handling marks that are easily overlooked. An apparently unlisted muling, the obverse is the die ordinarily associated with the Brigadier General Eleazer W. Ripley medal, Julian MI-19, while the reverse is that ordinarily associated with Major General John B. Porters medal, Julian MI-18. On the latter die, the date SEP. 17 is punched over SEO. 16. The muling, however, is a logical one in that Ripley participated in the battles of Chippewa, Niagara and Fort Erie during the War of 1812, so any medal commemorating those three battles would be appropriate for this officer. For the specialist collector of U.S. Mint medals, this is clearly a desirable piece.From our (Bowers and Ruddys) New York Public Library Collection sale, October 1982, lot 2642; our (Bowers and Merenas) Julian Leidman Collection sale, April 1986, lot 4243; Presidential Coin & Antique Co.s Ambassador Middendorf Sale, December 1990, lot 38. Lot tags and collector tag with attribution notation included. The Bowers and Merena lot tag is for the correct sale, but the incorrect lot.
