1881 United States Assay Commission Medal. Silver. 33 mm. By George T. Morgan and William Barber. JK AC-24Aa. Rarity-5. Specimen-64 (PCGS). This richly original near-Gem exhibits blended highlights of olive, russet, midnight blue and reddish-apricot on a base of warm pewter gray. It is smartly impressed with bold to sharp detail throughout the design. A couple of minor handling marks in the lower right obverse field are all that seem to preclude a higher grade.The reverse design of this issue includes the Latin legend NE QUID DETRIMENTI RESPUBLICA CAPIAT, or "Let Not the State Receive Any Harm," which is attributed to the Roman orator Cicero during the Cataline conspiracy. When associated with the United States Mints Assay Commission medal series, this legend is meant to be a promise that people should not be harmed due to the actions of dishonest Mint officials.Two reverse dies were prepared for the 1881 Assay Commission medal, the second (used for JK AC-24B) with the letter B at the lower left. JK AC-24A is known in both silver and copper, but AC-24B comes only in copper. The present specimen is from a net mintage of 27 silver impressions delivered on February 7, 1881, three additional examples struck at that time eventually returned to the Mint and were melted. The present example is nearly the equal of the Keusch Collection specimen, cataloged as Prooflike Choice Uncirculated in our (Stacks) November 2008 sale. The only other silver strikings from these dies that we have handled during the last 12 years are the Choice About Uncirculated examples that sold as lot 1326 in our (Coin Galleries) sale of December 2009 and lot 30101 in our July 2015 Baltimore Auction. From the Richard Jewell Collection.
