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A medal acquisition and new discovery for me the rare 1861 Major Robert Anderson Fort Sumter medal.
Based on all the sources that I could locate for this little known big medal, up until I won it only 1 example was known
and that was David W. Dreyfuss' example which was reported twice in 4/1986 Bowers & Merena lot 5591 and then again on 10/2008 lot 29131 in Heritage Auctions.
The example that I was fortunate enough to win and which was also sold twice but under the radar (unreported) by Cowan Auctions 10/2018 lot 572 and a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon it also from Cowan's for a second time. This is the second known example originally ordered by the State of New York Chamber of Commerce, who by the way had these medals made by Charles Muller in 1862 for presentation to Major Robert Anderson Defender of Fort Sumter on 5/1/1862 in N.Y.C. to commemorate the April 12-13 1861 Bombardment of Fort Sumter by the South effectively starting the Civil War. The medal is 6" in diameter. There could be one more example that was minted for the State of N.Y. Chamber of Commerce and presented to Major Robert Anderson but it has not been found, maybe it is still in the hands of Robert Anderson's family or in some United States museum who knows. I don't believe the Dreyfuss example was Major Anderson's medal since there is no engraving on it. I am assuming that if N.Y. State give Mr Anderson a medal something had to be engraved on it, like a #1 on the edge or an inscription to make it personal and differentiate from the other 1 or 2.
and that was David W. Dreyfuss' example which was reported twice in 4/1986 Bowers & Merena lot 5591 and then again on 10/2008 lot 29131 in Heritage Auctions.
The example that I was fortunate enough to win and which was also sold twice but under the radar (unreported) by Cowan Auctions 10/2018 lot 572 and a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon it also from Cowan's for a second time. This is the second known example originally ordered by the State of New York Chamber of Commerce, who by the way had these medals made by Charles Muller in 1862 for presentation to Major Robert Anderson Defender of Fort Sumter on 5/1/1862 in N.Y.C. to commemorate the April 12-13 1861 Bombardment of Fort Sumter by the South effectively starting the Civil War. The medal is 6" in diameter. There could be one more example that was minted for the State of N.Y. Chamber of Commerce and presented to Major Robert Anderson but it has not been found, maybe it is still in the hands of Robert Anderson's family or in some United States museum who knows. I don't believe the Dreyfuss example was Major Anderson's medal since there is no engraving on it. I am assuming that if N.Y. State give Mr Anderson a medal something had to be engraved on it, like a #1 on the edge or an inscription to make it personal and differentiate from the other 1 or 2.
Comments
So mystery is now solved in that The New York Chamber of Commerce contracted with the medal engraver Charles Muller also of the New York City area to produce 3 medals, one for Major Anderson and 2 for their own Chamber to be on display in a specially prepared presentation case.