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1826 Erie Canal Completion, HK-1000, R.6. MS64 Uncertified. ... (Total: 3 items)
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Description
Erie Canal Completion Medal, HK-1000, Silver, MS64
With Original Box and Memoir of the Erie Canal
1826 Erie Canal Completion, HK-1000, R.6. MS64 Uncertified.
Silver, 44.4 mm, 29.9 gm. The Erie Canal medal was issued under the
authority of the Common Council of the City of New York, which also
requested publication of the Memoir included in this lot. The canal
was opened on October 26, 1825, with the Seneca Chief making
the first canal trip from Buffalo to New York. New York Senator
DeWitt Clinton was the driving force behind legislation for the
canal, and for that reason it was first known as "Clinton's Folly."
However, tolls earned over the first 10 years of operation paid the
entire cost.Only a few edge nicks distract from the pristine surfaces of this iridescent toned piece. Although this medal is graded as a Mint State example, the surfaces are entirely prooflike; most would call it a true proof. The present example is only the fourth silver specimen that we have handled, and only the second one with the original box. It is currently thought that about two dozen of the silver Erie Canal medals still exist, and probably less than 10 of those have the original box.
The original box is extremely important, and almost never encountered. It is made of wood that was carried from Buffalo to New York on the Seneca Chief. Each side of the two-piece circular box has an interior paper label. The paper in the top is imprinted with an eagle on a globe, and "Presented by the City of New York." The paper in the bottom carries the notice that "This box was made of a piece of wood brought from Erie in the first Canal Boat The Seneca Chief." A few cracks in the otherwise exceptional box have been carefully repaired. Duncan Phyfe and Daniel Karr produced the original boxes.
Ex: Presidential Coin and Antique Co., Inc. (6/1994), lot 175.
Colden, Cadwallader D. Memoir, Prepared at the Request of a Committee of the Common Council of the City of New York, and Presented to the Mayor of the City, at the Celebration of the Completion of the New York Canals. Printed by Order of the Corporation of New York. New York: W.A. Davis, 1825 (actual publication in 1826). First Edition. Quarto. v, [3], 408, [2] pp. Gilt, leather spine with marbled paper boards and marbled end papers, the front cover loose, otherwise Very Good with minor foxing and water damage. An original presentation label affixed to the front cover identifies the recipient of this book (and a medal and box) as Major James Davidson, an officer in the Army of the Revolution. The words "New York Line" were blacked out at the time of presentation, indicating that Major James Davidson was from another state.
Complete with all plates, many lithographed by Anthony Imbert, maps, and other inserts, including two colored maps, and eight facsimile letters acknowledging receipt of gold medals. This is one of the earliest examples of lithography in America, and it is extremely important as such.
Tipped in the front is a blank ticket to participate in the canal completion celebration, and an invitation for Major Davidson to dine with members of the Corporation of the City of New York at City Hall on July 4, 1826.
The medal, box, and book were originally presented together to various important individuals. Page 340 of the Memoirs identifies those who were to receive the Class II (silver) medals: The Vice-President of the United States, the heads of the departments of the United States, the governor and lieutenant-governor of New York, the governors of each state, foreign ministers of the United States, former governors and lieutenant-governors of New York, officers of the Revolutionary Army belonging to the New York line, members of the Common Council of New York, and "other distinguished persons by a special vote of the board."
Revolutionary War records list two officers named James Davidson. James Davidson of New York was a regimental quartermaster, and likely not the recipient of this book since it was apparently presented to an officer of another state, as noted above. James Davidson of Pennsylvania was a surgeon with the Fifth Pennsylvania, serving from 1777 to 1783. He died on June 26, 1825, a short time before the books were ready for presentation. If he is the same individual to whom this book was presented, it is reasonable to propose such a connection. Little else is currently known of either individual.
Ex: Old Editions Bookshop, Buffalo, New York (2/26/1991).
Cataloger's note: Our consignor acquired the book, medal, and box at different times and from different sources. It is unlikely that they were all originally presented together.
Auction Info
2009 September Long Beach, CA Signature US Coin Auction #1129 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2009
10th-13th
Thursday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 19
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 6,939
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