Heavy Token//Commermorative - Need help ID

JJ69

If anyone has any info about this http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=28&threadid=444698 that I found metal detecting and posted in the MD forum, I'd be much obliged.

Zot

Linkified

sinin1

cool whatever it is

Julian

I asked a colleague about this and he replied, as follows:

<FONT face=Times>INAUGURAL MEDAL. DeWitt </FONT><FONT face=Times color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SERIF">JQA 1824-1; Julian PR-5. 50mm. White Metal. Mortiz Furst, Sc. F/VF, but the rims are very badly dented. This is probably one of the 100 “semi-metal” medals which were sent to the War Department in 1827. The obverse bears the draped bust right of President John Quincy Adams, while the reverse bears an allegorical scene of Science in the guise of Athena, presenting an olive branch to an Indian (representing America) seated upon a cornucopia.


</FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SERIF"><B><FONT face=Times>AUCTIONS

</FONT></FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SERIF"><FONT face=Times>BM 11/01. #5372. WM. XF. $5750.00
4387. #2. F/VF very badly dented rims. $484.00
DWD #5209. Choice AU. Area of irregularity on the edge at about 6:00. $1320.00
WWC Wilson 1925. Silver Proof
Bushnell. 1882. Silver. $17.00
Bushnell. 1882. Tin. $5.35
McCoy. 1864. #817. Tin. $3.25
</FONT></B></FONT>

I am sorry, but I don't know how to get rid of the garbage around the info.

ldhair

I'm a bit late but this is what I know.

This medal should be 50 mm. It would have been pure silver, not coin silver.
Don't know what that means as far as weight. The WM version was 97% tin.

This is thought to have been coined at the Philadelphia mint with the help of Adam Eckfeldt.
At least 100 of the WM version were made and sent to the Secretary of war, about 1826 or 27.

It's a really cool find. Let us know what else you learn.

JJ69

Thanks for the replies.
Do you guys think the 'tin' version referred to by Julian and the 'WM' version referred to by Idhair are one in the same ?
I've already ruled out silver as it has neither the look, feel or weight [54 grams].
Don't know about mm, but it is just short of 2' diameter.

ldhair

White metal was 97% tin and 3% antimony.
Moritz Furst the engraver of this medal called it semi-metal.

I would think the tin version would be in really bad shape after being dug up.
What did your MD peg it as?

JJ69

<< <i>White metal was 97% tin and 3% antimony.
Moritz Furst the engraver of this medal called it semi-metal.

I would think the tin version would be in really bad shape after being dug up.
What did your MD peg it as? >>



Yeah normally you would expect a tin object to be fairly trashed after years/decades underground.
It was found in a layer of oilish clay, and perhaps that preserved it a bit I don't know.
As far as detector readings, the ID was bouncing all over the place, from penny to dollar - Which it did again once out of the ground.
I usually don't even bother with signals like this, but it was so strong and the pinpoint so sharp I decided to investigate.

Gemini

Not a modern repo from the Mint as I don't see this medal listed in the Mint catalog of medals issued for sale to the public.