1881 James A. Garfield Indian Peace Medal. Oval. Copper, Bronzed. Julian IP-44, Prucha-55. MS-67 BN (NGC). 75.4 x 60.0 mm. 2926.0 grains. A really superb example of this very rare medal. Deep reddish mahogany bronze with just a trace of faint marbling in the right obverse field. Deeply prooflike throughout the fields with a fine satin finish on the motifs. Just the faintest break in the patina on the high point of Garfield’s head. Virtually no signs of handling otherwise.Unlike the case of the Rutherford B. Hayes medals, there were a few original medals struck in silver for the Garfield administration for distribution to Native Americans. As noted in Prucha, the adopted methodology was to strike medals as needed rather than to produce a large number for eventual distribution. The silver Garfields are extremely rare. We know of only four originals, and it seems that perhaps a mere 25 of them were struck for distribution. As is the case with the Hayes medals, there were restrikes made in silver for collectors, and we are aware of two such pieces.With the silver impressions prohibitively rare, and original bronzes not that much more available, there is fairly strong collector enthusiasm when one does come up for sale. Carl Carlson found only three auction records for bronze Garfield medals and four records for silver ones, though we suspect that he may have inadvertently included restrikes among the latter. The Ford Collection contained one silver and two bronzes. Just four bronzes have appeared in our sales in the last decade, including this piece, which almost certainly holds the price record at $7,050, from when it was sold in our August 2013 sale. Ex Chris Schenkel, Bowers and Merena, November 1990, lot 4037; Charles A. Wharton Collection, Stacks Bowers Galleries, August 2013, lot 1069.
