1826 Erie Canal Completion Medal. HK-1. Rarity-6. White Metal. MS-62+ (PCGS). 45 mm. The white metal counterpart to the silver example offered above, and an outstanding representative of the HK-1 attribution. Bright silver-gray surfaces are remarkably smooth and near-fully Choice. Ample reflectivity in the fields is evident as the medal dips into a light, especially in the protected areas around the design elements. Sharply struck and crisp, we note only faint hairlines from old collector handling that preclude a higher Mint State grade. This medal was struck to mark the completion of the Erie Canal, an enormous project with ground broken on July 4, 1817, and completed on October 26, 1825. Issued by the Common Council of the City of New York, with dies engraved by Charles Cushing Wright after designs by Archibald Robertson. Survivors in this composition are rarely as choice as the specimen offered here.<p>Also included in this lot is the original wooden case that housed this medal which in better condition than typically seen with the paper inserts inside quite fresh. A small crack along the edge of the top half of the case is apparent, though the item remains fully functional. Additionally, a framed note is included that describes this medal passing down from a John Elliot, president of a bank in Erie to his friend Mr. Baldwin and then eventually to Mr. Baldwins great grandson Johnny. The medal is described as a valuable historical relic. Finally, a framed Erie Canal toll receipt dated November 1, 1831, for cargo shipped from Rochester to Buffalo, New York is included. (Total: 4 items) From the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation.
