The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 49, December 2, 2007, Article 18

THE 1826 ERIE CANAL COMPLETION MEDAL IN GOLD

Rich Jewell writes: "Heritage Auction Galleries, September
27, 2007, Long Beach, Medals and Tokens Auction listed a
very rare (if not scarce) 1826 Erie Canal Completion Medal
in Gold (HK-1001). The last such appearance in auction was
1932 and it was attributed to Andrew Jackson.

"John J. Ford did not even own one of these pieces of Americana,
and yet no mention of this medal made the news, as did the
Commodore Perry Gold Medal did when it was auctioned off this
past summer. Could it be that this So-Called Dollar didn't
have the importance of a mint pedigree?

"Even the renowned numismatic author Q. David Bowers missed
the gold 1826 Erie Canal Completion Medal in his co-authored
'100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens' book - the white
and silver medals are listed but not the GOLD!  Is this a
case of numismatic snobbery, proof reader error, an author's
oversight, or an attitude of "who cares attitude since it's
only a So-Called Dollar"?  Maybe some of our esteemed
brotherhood would care to offer their opinions."

[Coincidentally, the lot description includes a reference
to the August 10, 2003 edition of The E-Sylum, where Ed
Krivoniak sent a story on the Canal Medals published in a
contemporary newspaper (American Traveller, April 25, 1826).

The lot description notes that "11 gold versions of the
Erie Canal Completion medals were distributed to dignitaries
of the highest order. (Jefferson and John Adams received
only one gold medal each, although they were both ex-Presidents
and signers of the Declaration of Independence.) Of the
esteemed individuals bestowed the honor of receiving a gold
medal, only one would have taken the medal to Europe: General
Lafayette. This is only important in that the current example
is from a European estate and has only recently been repatriated.
Could this be the actual gold medal belonging to General
Lafayette?"

As for publicity, it rarely happens by accident.  Usually
someone has to write up a press release and send it to the
newswires and numismatic publications.  It helps if you make
their job easy and basically write a first draft of the
article the way you'd like to see it in print.  If Heritage
didn't send out anything, maybe nobody noticed.  Donn Pearlman
does a great job publicizing the ANA and PCGS - he has good
contacts with national news organizations and frequently gets
stuff published nationwide.

Rich contacted Dave's coauthor Katie Jaeger and she's updated
the entry for the medal to include the gold strikings.  If
there is a subsequent edition of the book the gold version
will be listed.  -Editor]

 To view the 1826 Erie Canal Completion Medal in Gold lot description see:
 Full Story

 EARLY REFERENCE TO ERIE CANAL MEDALS
 esylum_v06n32a16.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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