STACK'S BOWERS 2019 BALTIMORE EXONUMIA SELECTIONS

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V22 2019 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 22, Number 6, February 10, 2019, Article 21

Here's a selection of items that caught my eye in the Spring 2019 Baltimore U.S. Coins & Exonumia sale by Stack's Bowers -Editor

Undated (1931) Hopi Prayer for Rain. Fine Silver. 74 mm x 70 mm, oval. 205.5 grams. By Hermon MacNeil. Alexander-SOM 3. Edge B. Mint State.

Beautiful antique silver surfaces with a fine grain sandblast texture to the finish. One of the more popular Society of Medalists issues, this type was designed by Hermon MacNeil, known to coin collectors for his Standing Liberty quarter. From a mintage of just 25 silver impressions, and rare, as such. The original box and cards are included.

1929 (i.e. 1965) Gary Memorial Medal. Gold (14K), 94.5 mm, 583.2 grams, 10.94 oz troy AGW. By Paul Manship. Murtha-247. Mint State.

Edge marked MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y. 14K. Obverse portrays left facing portrait of Elbert Henry Gary, founding chairman of United States Steel Corporation. Reverse shows two winged victories lowering a laurel wreath onto the head of a bare-chested blacksmith at his forge, representing the award's recipient, in this case THOMAS F. PATTON, whose name and 1965 date of awarding is engraved below.

The Gary Memorial Medal is the American Iron and Steel Institute's highest award, instituted in 1929 and awarded almost yearly ever since. Thomas F. Patton, then Chairman and President of Republic Steel Corporation, one of America's Big Three steel manufacturers, received this award on May 27, 1965 for "Outstanding achievements in guiding the affairs of American Iron and Steel Institute better to serve its industry and the country, [his] industrial leadership during periods of adversity and crisis, the important role [he] played in the organization and successful administration of [his] company and for [his] devotion to the interests of the iron and steel industry throughout [his] career."

This gargantuan, rich yellow gold award medal is housed in its original fitted clamshell case and is the distinctive work of famous 20th century sculptor Paul Manship, whose prolific sculpture graces museum collections, building facades and public spaces around the world. His most famous sculpture, the 1934 gilded Prometheus that overlooks the skating rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City, is enjoyed by the tens of millions of visitors who visit New York City each year.

His medallic work is also prolific, and collected by dedicated aficionados of his oeuvre ; he modeled a variety of portrait medals but also created works for industry, such as this Gary Award Medal, the 1934 Carnegie Corporation Medal and the 1930 Southern Railway Systems Centennial Medal, among others. His most widely distributed medals are the 1930 Dionysus for the Society of Medalists and the 1960 John F. Kennedy Inaugural Medal.

In general, though, the medallic works of Paul Manship were produced in very limited editions, and even medals like the Gary, now awarded for 90 years, are very rare in the marketplace. Many are permanently locked up in corporate collections and recipient's families, and some were undoubtedly melted down during the 1980 and 2011 run ups in the price of gold with little regard for their numismatic or artistic value. Only 2 offerings of a Gary Award Medal in the last 2 decades were found at Invaluable.com, leaving the current offering as a very rare opportunity to acquire a superb work by one of the most famous 20th century American sculptors in the most noble medal possible.

Appropriately described as "Gargantuan", this massive piece is substantially larger than even a Congressional Gold Medal. The medals of corporate America are an interesting topic worthy of a catalog all their own. -Editor

"1886" Franco-American Union Auguste Bartholdi Medal. Silvered Bronze. 68 mm. By Oscar Roty. MS-62 (NGC).

Obv: Liberty, France, and winged Genius admire the Statue of Liberty enlightening the world, legends above. Rev: Olive branch supports Federal and French shields and a medal depicting Auguste Bartholdi, legends throughout. Edge: (cornucopia) BRONZE. A pleasing antique silver example with swirls of deeper flint gray scattered about. Boldly rendered devices and uncommonly smooth surfaces for the assigned grade are sure to result in strong bids for this handsome example.

A great medal and souvenir of American independence. The plaque at the bottom of the reverse is blank - were these meant to be engraved? -Editor

United States. 119th United States Colored Infantry. J.M. Longwell. Schenkman US-119-CN (OH-Not Listed). Rarity-10. Copper-Nickel. 19 mm. MS-64 (NGC).

Unlisted in copper-nickel in the first edition of Schenkman, but would have been Schenkman-R1OCN. Copper-nickel Civil War tokens with Fuld die 1047 (an 1864 Indian Head) are exceedingly rare; a few duplicates have been reported. A major opportunity for both the Sutler and Civil War token collector.

Provenance: From the Q. David Bowers Collection. Earlier from Kreisberg-Schulman's sale of March 1965, lot 1494; our sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XXIII, August 2013 ANA, lot 21553. The obverse is plated in the second edition of the Schenkman reference on sutler tokens. Lot tag and collector envelopes with attribution and provenance notes included.

Case: Both sides exhibit a mottling of antique gold and brassy-copper patina, the reverse also with a few splashes of light rose. A bit of ancient surface build up is noted for the back, although it has little effect on either the quality or eye appeal. Mica: Complete with only minor scratches and an out-of-the-way subsurface lamination at the lower right. Stamp: Well centered, if a tad tight to the top, with a generally smooth appearance and richly original color. An endearing and highly significant example from one of the rarest issuers in the encased postage series.

This encasement advertises the clothing store of Arthur M. Claflin, which was established in his hometown of Hopkinton, Massachusetts prior to the Civil War. All of the denominations currently known -- one, three, five, ten and twelve cents -- were not recorded until 1939. In their 1989 encased postage stamp reference, Michael Hodder and Q. David Bowers estimated that only 15 Claflin encasements of all denominations were known, and we doubt that more recent discoveries have swelled that total to any great degree. The authors knew of just two or three five-cent examples, a total that confirms this as the rarest denomination from this issuer after only the three cents. This is one of our most significant encased postage stamp offerings of all time, a find for the advanced collector that is worthy of the strongest bids.

Another great Civil War era rarity. Claflin is one of the rarest merchant issuers. I was never able to acquire one of these in my time as an encased postage stamp collector. -Editor

Missouri. SPRAGUE & BLODGETT'S GEORGIA MINSTRELS ADMIT ONE on an 1876-CC Liberty Seated half dollar. Brunk S-776, Rulau Mo-Un 7. VG-10 (NGC).

Counterstamp around and at center of the host coin's obverse. Even lilac-gray surfaces display wear. In fact, the host coin is quite pleasing for the assigned grade and helps to define the counterstamp. This seems to have been an admission ticket worth the face value of the coin.

Provenance: From the Q. David Bowers Collection. Earlier from our sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XXIII, August 2013, lot 21880. Lot tag and collector envelope with attribution notation included.

With the word "blackface" returning to the news in recent days, this offering is timely. A number of minstrel troupes employed counterstamped coins to advertise their shows. The mintmark of the overstruck coin is interesting as well. -Editor

Undated (ca. 1798) Theatre at New York Token. W-9080, Breen-1055. Rarity-6. Proof-64+ BN (PCGS).

These famous tokens were engraved by B. Jacobs and struck at Skidmore's Mint in London. They were struck in copper with a diameter of 34 millimeters. The obverse depicts the architect Brunel's conception of the famed Park Theatre in New York. Said theatre was the largest in New York, situated off Ann Street and Beekman, with the entrance on what became known as "Theatre alley." Large enough to seat 2,372 people, the theatre wrestled with financing and city building codes that hobbled its success. Finally opening after three years of construction delays in January of 1798, this was the largest theatre in Manhattan for a few decades. These tokens were struck to commemorate the opening of the theatre and promote its fame. All shows featured live actors in nightly performances. Only a handful of these tokens are known, with perhaps a dozen remaining in total.

Writing about this type when a different specimen was offered in our March 2012 Baltimore Auction, Q. David Bowers stated:

"For many years this has been one of my favorites of the British conder tokens. The subject is strictly American and the diameter is penny (not halfpenny) size, making it quite impressive. Skidmore issued a number of various tokens for the numismatic trade, all of which are elusive today. The listing of the Theatre at New York in the Guide Book of United States Coins has widened its appeal immensely. Only occasionally does an example appear in the market, and even more widely spaced are offerings of a coin of this [virtually] Gem quality."

Provenance: From the Greenway Collection. Earlier from our (Stack's) June Sale of 1973, lot 855; our (Stack's) Laird U. Park Collection sale, May 1976, lot 76; our (Stack's) Greater New York Numismatic Convention Sale, May 1985, lot 42. Lot tags and Stack's paper envelope included.

Crudely executed, this is nonetheless an important piece of American theater history. -Editor