54

Lr. 832 — George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated (1776-1820). Silver.

Currency:CAD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:3,750.00 CAD Estimated At:12,500.00 - 13,500.00 CAD
Lr. 832 — George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated (1776-1820). Silver.
SOLD
17,000.00CAD+ (3,060.00) buyer's premium + applicable fees & taxes.
This item SOLD at 2022 Apr 28 @ 18:48UTC-4 : AST/EDT

Buyer’s Premiums will be added on all items as per the Terms & Conditions of the sale. Invoices will be emailed out after all sessions of the Toronto Coin Expo Spring Sale have concluded.

McLachlan-293, Betts-438, Breton-10, Jaimeson-18, Adams 7.3 (seven rivets above sash). 76mm. 98.0g. Plain edge, but showing a faint line around where two shells were joined to form a single piece (as issued). Unsigned. These iconic undated George III Indian peace medals were issued as early as 1776 for service during the Revolutionary War, through the War of 1812 period, and as late as 1832 during the reign of William IV. Writing in he Indian Peace Medals of George III or His Majesty’s Sometime Allies (1999), John W. Adams has suggested somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 examples of this medal were awarded, maybe a few more, and that the survival rate is between 8% and 10%. That total includes all sizes of undated George III medals: 76mm (large), 60mm (medium), and 38mm (small). Regarding the design, with George III clad in a full suit of armour, Adams adds: “Clearly, the purpose of the production was to recruit military allies, not to celebrate passive diplomatic ties.”
This example includes its original hanger, which shows wear commensurate with the rest of the medal, though it appears to have been soldered back on at some point. A secondary ring has been added and is not contemporary to the piece. The obverse is an early die state without the crack that later forms through the cravat. Condition is excellent for the type. It shows enough wear and scattered abrasions to suggest it was genuinely distributed to and proudly worn by and Indigenous chief, but it retains its old-time, antique patina. This example is fresh to market and unlisted on John Adams’ census. It was purchased privately from a man in Montreal whose father, an Indian Affairs employee, received it as a gift. Although we cannot confirm anything beyond that, the backstory contributes significantly to the appeal and confirms without a doubt its legitimacy as an awarded Indian peace medal. A comparable example was recently offered as lot 10058 in Stack’s Bowers sale of the E Pluribus Unum Collection in November 2021, where it realized $13,200 USD or roughly $16,750 CAD.
From the Michael Joffre Collection of Canadian Historical Medals.