Circa 1805 Peace of 1783 medal. Musante GW-92, Baker-58, Julian CM-5. Silver. SP-62 (PCGS).40.5 mm. 483.1 grains. Deeply toned and a bit subdued on the obverse, the surface being somewhat mottled deep smoky gray with traces of darker slate as well as areas of lighter silver. Up close, nuances of blue and golden brown are also seen. The reverse is much lighter with boldly reflective fields and lovely golden brown and blue iridescence. The Baker number is in red on the edge.<p>Under magnification and upon careful study, a few impairments become visible. On the obverse, there is a thin scratch in the left field, and a deeper one following close to the back of Washington’s head. Curious metallic deposits are noted nestled tightly against the rims in places, under Washington’s collar and beneath the shoulder. On the reverse, there is a fairly large lump within the upper center of the globe, and a couple of smaller ones on the reverse rim near 4:00. Those on the reverse appear upon first inspection to be chips from the die, but upon further consideration they are revealed to be scattered deposits of lead solder; there is no obvious explanation for their presence as there is no evidence of mounting or repair. Perhaps, similar to the set of History of the Revolution medals retained by Joseph Sansom, this piece was once enclosed in some type of frame that was carelessly soldered in assembly. This is the only viable explanation we can think of, and it was not unusual for small wall-hangings to be made from medallic works in various compositions.<p>Beyond the noted imperfections, this is a rather interesting specimen. It is clearly an early impression. On the edge at 12:00, there is a prominent collaring mark, while another similar edge mark seems to be a break in the collar. This is located just below 9:00. Also notable is the alignment of the back of Washington’s shoulder truncation with the epaulet. The rear edge of the shoulder is farther to the right than on any of the other examples here (considering all compositions), or any of those we have seen images of, where we can see this detail. Clearly, the obverse die was reworked at some point and this area lost some detail.<p>Regardless of the peculiarities of this piece, it remains one of the most desirable of the early American mint medals. Designed by Joseph Reich and struck in commemoration of the treaty that ended the American Revolution, it celebrates on one side the diplomat and general most credited for the final outcome, and on the other, the victory of Peace over War.Ex William Spohn Baker Collection, to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by bequest, November 15, 1897.
