1865 Enemies In War - In Peace Friends Medal. Musante GW-767, Baker-174A. Silver. MS-61 (PCGS).

40.4 x 30.3 mm (total, with frame). 145.7 grains. Light silver gray with soft patina around the perimeter of the oval medallion where the frame has protected the surfaces best. The silver frame is of good construction, designed such that the medallion can be set into the body and the cover affixed to hold it around the rims. A fine seam is visible in the edge. A small plaque above the medal bears the engraved date, 1865, on both sides, while the reverse bears the engraved letters R.H.L.V. / OF C. & D.C. A curious and very rare piece. We have handled three of the sister-variant (GW-766, in white metal) in recent years, and with the obverse legend worded differently, "IN WAR ENEMIES." This example is not only a different composition, and with different presentation with its original frame, but is also from a different pair of dies (both dies differ from the other type). We suspect that it might even be of a different hand. When Baker wrote of the general type in 1885, he knew only of the other one, and cataloged it based on the example in his own collection, in part: "The head of Washington quite neatly executed, cannot be assigned to any particular original. We are unable to give any information as to the engraver, or the time and purpose of publication." This is somewhat remarkable as not more than 20 years could have passed between the striking and Baker's writing. He clearly had never seen this variant, but if he had, we might have had a good chance of deciphering the engraved initials of the frame which must point to the issuer. By 1999 when Russell Rulau and George Fuld published their revision of Baker's work, they still had uncovered nothing about this issue, though they knew of a single impression from these dies and cataloged it as unique. Today at least three are known: this one and the two plated in Musante. The one in Musante with the original ribbon seems to be the same specimen Rulau and Fuld plated in 1999. With its more elaborate presentation and engraved frame, this is likely the original medal, made for whatever unknown organization or event. The white metal ones are probably copies of some sort, or unadopted trials. Most likely, this has some connection to the reconciliation between combatants of the North and South at the close of the Civil War in 1865. However, extensive study of the internet, with many guesses as to the words these initials stand for, has turned up nothing we can convincingly point to as an issuing organization.

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex the David Hirsch Collection; Presidential Coin and Antique's sale of June 2011, lot 212.