1891 United States Assay Commission Medal. Bronzed Copper. 33 mm. By Charles E. Barber and George T. Morgan. JK AC-34b. Rarity-5. MS-66 (NGC). Handsome antique copper brown surfaces are warmly and evenly toned. Both sides are satiny and very appealing, as would be expected for the assigned grade.In late 1890 or early 1891, Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber prepared an 1891-dated version of the obverse used on the 1890 Assay Commission medal, JK AC-33, for use on the Mints 1891 issue in this series. The death of Treasury Secretary William Windom on January 29, 1891, however, resulted in a hasty decision to use his portrait on the obverse of the 1891 Assay Commission medal. Barber completed the new obverse die in short order, quick enough for the Commissioners to receive their medals in February of that year, in fact. The bust is a reduction of that used on the regular Windom medal of December 1890, Julian MT-25.While we have offered several silver impressions of JK AC-34 over the last dozen or so years, this is the first copper example that we have handled since at least 2008. Missing in this composition from our (Stacks) Keusch Collection sale, this is a significant offering that is sure to appeal to astute collectors.Regarding the original obverse die prepared for the 1891 Assay Commission medal issue, the Julian-Keusch reference assigns it the attribution AC-35 and states that "the only medal located at present is in the Pittman collection." That specimen, certified NGC Proof-64 BN at the time, appeared as lot 1085 in our ANA Auction of August 2016.William Windom was a Republican Representative and Senator from Minnesota, and was a leader in liberal legislation for railroad expansion. His more youthful likeness appears on the 1891 series $2 U.S. Silver Certificates, which were printed in the year of his death. From the Richard Jewell Collection.
