1857 James Buchanan Indian Peace Medal. First Size. Julian IP-34, Prucha-50. Silver. Very Fine. 75.9 mm. 2843.8 grains. Pierced near 12 oclock, as issued, with a thick silver suspension loop. Gently mottled surfaces are medium to light silver gray on most of the highest points of relief, while the fields are largely dark gray with subtle tones of lighter gray and brown. A few earthen deposits are noted in some of the reverse recesses. Fairly sharp in terms of detail, and exhibiting wear patterns consistent with an issued and worn medal. Numerous small marks are noted on both sides, while the reverse rim has taken a few heavier impacts near 8 oclock to 9 oclock and the flan is gently bent. Good eye appeal overall. Though it seems that there has been a steady stream of offerings of large-size Buchanan medals recently, this is the result of the very rare occasion of more than one important collection being sold. In fact, these are quite rare. This is one of just 16 examples known to the present writer and five of these are in institutional collections.<p>It has been 14 years since we last handled this piece, in what appears to have been its first public offering. In that earlier description, we added the following: Beyond the rarity of this medal, the designs are distinctive and important, showing the first medallic illustration of baseball…on the reverse. The contrast reveals the Anglo-American misunderstanding of native lifestyles, juxtaposing the peripheral elements of a man being scalped against the central devices of children playing baseball and a native pushing a plow -- while wearing a fancy war bonnet -- something akin to a general moving his lawn while wearing his epaulets. The same design was kept for the Lincoln medals, though most of those were struck from a copy [replacement] reverse lacking the artists signature in the reverse exergue. Any opportunity to acquire an original Buchanan Peace Medal, issued as a diplomatic tool during a key period of the Westward Expansion, is an important chance for collectors in Western history.<p> From a "Member of the Pawnee, purchased in Muskogee, OK"; our (Stacks) Henry Leon Sale, May 2007, lot 206.
