1889 Benjamin Harrison Indian Peace Medal. Oval. Copper, Bronzed. Julian IP-47, Prucha-58. MS-67 BN (NGC). 75.4 x 59.3 mm. 2851.9 grains. The final entry in the distinctive series of oval Peace medals and another great rarity in the series in outstanding condition. Lovely light olive and chocolate brown with a nuance of faded reddish tan at the upper obverse and soft gold toning in the prooflike recesses at the top and bottom of the reverse. A few tiny flecks from an ancient fingerprint are noted beneath the truncation, but there is virtually nothing in terms of handling marks otherwise. The fields of the obverse Harrison oval die were finished differently at the Mint. Instead of the customary prooflike texture, these fields show tight swirling die finishing. The finish of the reverse is as seen on other issues, however.The oval medals for the Harrison administration were the result of the Mint simply following what had been done for all the recent presidents, beginning with Rutherford B. Hayes. The official need for Peace medals had dropped off considerably, and most of those struck were for the Mint list and collectors. For this administration, the use of all ovals turned out to be private collector sales, as when the Harrison administration made motions for medals for presentation under its authority, it desired different designs entirely. This was not their idea, however, but the specific request of a delegation of Oto and Missouri men who visited Washington in 1890. They specified that they wished to have round silver medals not less than 2.5 inches in diameter, and they wanted them badly enough that they offered to pay for them themselves, an undoubtedly unprecedented situation. The officials complied and from this was born the last of the officially issued Peace medals of the United States, the round Benjamin Harrison.As for the ovals, since none were ever issued there are no original silver examples known or likely to exist. We are aware of only a single silver impression which is overweight and a later collector strike. It was in the Dr. William Bridge Collection offered by Rich Hartzog (World Exonumia), in September 1991. It perhaps went unsold, as that firm is credited with having gifted it to the ANS in 2007.Bronze impressions are rare and naturally very desirable. Carlson had recorded four auction appearances, while the Ford Collection didn’t include one at all. Our archives include only two early impressions going back about a decade, including this one which last sold in 2016 and set a price record at just under $10,000. The other was called “About Uncirculated” and sold for $5,175 in 2009. Opportunities to get these are very few and far between, and this might well be the finest known example. It is being offered here for the second time ever. Ex John Charles Woodbury (1859-1937); Collections of the Strong, Rochester, New York; sold to benefit the museum’s collections fund by Stacks Bowers Galleries, March 2016, lot 12018.
