(1863) Medal SCH-C20 Silver-Plated Copper, Merriam Maj. Gen. Philip Kearney

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 AU58 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This silver-plated copper medal cataloged as SCH-C20 is a variant of the Merriam series portrait of Major General Philip Kearny, distinguished from the plain copper version by its silvered surface. The silver plating was applied to give the medal a more prestigious appearance while keeping costs below that of a solid silver striking. Merriam, a prolific producer of Civil War-era medals and tokens, created portrait series featuring prominent Union commanders that were sold to the public and to soldiers as patriotic collectibles. Philip Kearny was an ideal subject for such medals — his romantic biography included French military training, combat in Algeria with the Chasseurs d'Afrique, the loss of an arm in Mexico, service in the Italian Wars of Unification under Napoleon III, and his heroic death at Chantilly. His distinctive one-armed silhouette on horseback, holding his reins in his teeth while wielding his sword, became one of the iconic images of the Civil War. New Jersey later named Fort Kearny and the town of Kearny in his honor.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Silver-plated copper variants of Merriam medals are less common than plain copper versions but more obtainable than solid silver strikings.

Cross References

PCGS #783664; SCH-C20; Joseph Merriam; Major General Philip Kearny