1858 New York Chamber of Commerce Atlantic Cable Completion Medal. Large Size. By Tiffany & Company. Copper. MS-63 (NGC).69 mm. Obv: Detailed view of American and British sailing ships stern to stern on the open ocean with support vessels on either side, laying cable from huge rollers, inscriptions FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE / AND CITIZENS OF NEW YORK above and COMMEMORATIVE OF THE PART TAKEN / BY HIM, / IN LAYING THE FIRST / TELEGRAPHIC CABLE / BETWEEN / EUROPE AND AMERICA, IN AUGUST, A.D. 1858. Rev: Allegorical figures flanking a huge globe over which a cable is strung, winged figure with laurel wreaths above, tiny U.S. and British Arms flanking New York Chamber of Commerce emblem at base, inscription TIFFANY & CO. N.Y. below. it should be noted that NGC has mounted this medal with the reverse up in the holder.This is one of the most spectacular medals from the second half of the 19th century -- commemorating an event that electrified (no pun intended) the nation in 1858. Sharply struck with bold autumn-brown patina overall. Satiny surfaces reveal only a few faint carbon spots that limit the grade, most of which are confined to the reverse. There are no marks of consequence. The reverse is double struck, and quite boldly so, with appreciable rotation between impressions.This piece features the same obverse design used to produce the gold examples presented to principal figures who participated in laying the cable. The reverse, however, is of a different design, although superficially similar. (See our New York Americana Sale of January 2011, lots 6466 and 6467, for examples of the other reverse design, including one of the gold strikings.) Few large-size bronze specimens are known. Rare and attractive.The completion of the first Atlantic Cable between Newfoundland and Ireland through the efforts of Cyrus West Field of Stockbridge, Massachusetts triggered an explosion of worldwide celebration. The first successful transmission of a message was on August 5. This was to contemporary Americans what the Moon landing would be in the next century. Newspapers and magazines were filled with articles and illustrations of celebrations. On August 16, Queen Victoria sent greetings to President James Buchanan. The 98-word message took slightly over 16 hours to transmit. The presidents 149-word acknowledgment occupied 10 hours of time. In all, some 400 messages were sent back and forth in August, mostly brief notes on technical matters.Despite excitement and hoopla for the accomplishment, all was not well, and after about three weeks of service and test messages, the cable ceased functioning properly, with the last clear transmission received, ironically, on the celebration day of September 1. Signals became incomplete or garbled. The telegraph companys public stock fell in value and, separately, Cyrus W. Field had additional reverses with other business interests. For a time, city papers were filled with hopeful comments that cable service would be restored quickly and with defensive replies to criticism of the British press. Not long thereafter, many Americans took an opposite stance and felt that they had been hoodwinked by the whole affair. To some, Field became a pariah.Hope sprang eternal, and Field sought to repair or replace the cable, but for a long time nothing was accomplished. Finally in 1867 a new cable was installed and was successful.
