Undated (1919-) J. Sanford Saltus Award Medal of the American Numismatic Society. Copper electrotype of the obverse. 81.5 mm. By Adolph Alexander Weinman. Miller-38, Baxter-182, var. Mint State. Satiny golden bronze finish on the obverse. The reverse is blank with a very narrow coppery border and the rest of the reverse filled with lead. James Earle Fraser received the first of these awards, and Weinman himself the second. Scott Miller, in his <em>Medallic Art of the American Numismatic Society, 1865-2014</em> catalogs the standard issue in both silver and bronze versions, and notes in discussing the holdings of the ANS, "Other noteworthy specimens owned by the Society include a silvered electrotype of the obverse, the gift of Robert Weinman." This suggests that this unsilvered electrotype may well have once been part of the Weinman collection. Interestingly, in 1964 Robert Weinman, son of Adolph Weinman, was also awarded this prestigious medal. Although it has been awarded for excellence in medallic art more than 55 times since 1919, this medal, in any format, very rarely becomes available to collectors. Ranked #97 in the book <em>The 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens.</em> From the Richard Jewell Collection. Earlier from Presidential Coin and Antique Co., Inc.s Great Eastern Sale #46, June 1989, lot 266; Presidential Coin and Antique Co., Inc.s Auction Eighty-Two, June 2012, lot 384. Lot tags included.
