Jos. H. Merriam Lincoln medal AL- 1860-45 in SILVER

DCW · December 13, 2016 4:45AM

Here is a new addition to my collection that I'm quite excited about. A richly toned Abraham Lincoln medal by Joseph H. Merriam of Boston, AL-1860-45, 27mm struck in Silver.
The obverse features a bisecting die crack through Lincoln's bust, while the reverse is heralded with the motto "No More Slave Territory."
NGC MS65 ex. John J. Ford, Wayte Raymond, F.C.C. Boyd.

It is very difficult to locate any of Merriam's medals in silver, as it was not a medal with which he frequently worked. It is entirely possible that this was struck in the early 1870s as a "one off" at the request of a collector after the dies had failed. There are a few other reverses muled with this particular Lincoln obverse, all bearing this large die crack. All incredibly rare.
I was fortunate to win this at the latest Heritage auction. It was part of the Ford holdings auctioned in 2013, and the only example in silver that I have knowledge of.
Thank you for looking!