Some thoughts on the 1792 dated oval GW medal sold by Thomaston PlaceAuction Galleries....

At first glance the medal does not necessarily match the script layout of known authenticmedals. Nor does the suspension device. It may be possible to identify the punchmark on theattached suspension ring to the maker. The general subject matter is consistent with other GWmedals.

From a technical standpoint the medal itself seems to be constructed in the proper four piecemanner, being two thin silver/copper alloy sheets that has been silver plated and held togetherwith a separate rim. I will consider at this point the attachment for the chain has been added ata later date over an existing ring or a repair/replacement of a broken suspension ring. The sizeof the medal is within the realm of known authentic medals.

Artistically speaking the medal seems to exhibit a level of esoterica that I wouldexpect on an authentic medal or from an artisan familiar and practiced with such periodembellishments.

Alan Weinberg commented on the quality of engraving being above average of what isnormally seen for a medal. I remembered reading a dissertation of an unknown 1792burial medal he had discovered and purchased some time ago. He did a good job describingthe associated of a burial medal that led to him considering it authentic. It gives hope ofnew discoveries being possible -
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/ImageDetail/510941

I have to agree it is rather well engraved and it could be argued that it is on par with otherknown authentic medals. The 1793 Joseph Richardson medal used as an example is certainlyamong the finest engraved medals known, but there are four different punches known onauthentic medals (IL,JL,JW and JR) and many unmarked implying there are at least fourdifferent engraving styles or levels of expertise that can be expected, especially in 1792 andearly 1793. After the death of Joseph Wright the quality of the engraving improved and canwith a high probability be attested to the Richardson shop. These early oval GW medals cannotbe disregarded based on level of engraving, but should be evaluated considering construction/plating techniques and artistic value. If the subject meets what you as an owner or researcherwould consider within the realm of an authentic medal the next step would be a focused XRFtest to identify certain red flag elements within the sheeting alloy, welds and determination ofthe silver plating method. If its electroplated its all over right there.

I will use the same 1793 medal previously used as an example of what should be expectedfrom an authentic medal. Better pictures of both medals can be found at these links.
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/119071895_rare-coin-silver-indian-peace-medal-1792
https://coins.ha.com/itm/washingtonia/1793-george-washington-president-oval-engraved-indian-peace-medal-silver-by-joseph-richardson-baker-174-unlisted-belden-8-/a/1329-3056.s

The 1793 is spectacular and worth a long look. Considering a page from a Spider-Man comicrecently sold for over $3million this medal is way way undervalued.I will glean all I can from only a couple pictures and attempt to show a few attributes expectedto be present. In the case of this particular medal I don't believe a couple pictures are enoughto authenticate or dismiss it as .

The pictures I added will lose some clarity and are not taken in the lighting or exact anglesnecessary to properly view the esoterica. So consider this a study guide. If you have interestand a photo editing program on your computer its easy enough to experiment yourself. Iadjusted definition to 100%, increased saturation until light wavelengths begin to separate andadjusted brightness as I thought necessary. Those of you with an eye for the esoteric may beable to discern some of the artwork and portraits. I circled areas of interest in red.Notice in particular the one at the top of the 1793 and the one under the eagle on the medal (red arrows) They are very similar. At a minimum notice how some areasare more reflective than others and have a toning to them. This is the top layer of plating whichproper testing would reveal a silver (90%/10%+ neighborhood}. It is mostly still intact inthe center of the 1793 around where it had a better anchor and away from the edges where ithas been handled. (Like any other 200+ year old plating it is fragile and should not be handledwithout gloves. If you look at your fingertips under magnification after handling old plated silveryou will see flecks of silver stuck to your fingers. After awhile it starts to add up and there is avisible loss of silver plating in those areas). There is a distinct change in reflectivity away fromthe center that is not and has a brownish patina. This is the bottom layer of plating thatproper testing will reveal a very pure layer of silver plating that is over a silver copper alloysheet. The top layer of coin silver is gone in these areas, but is what would be expected from a200 year old plated relic of any type.

This method of layered plating allowed for esoteric embellishment at three levels that gave athree dimensional or sometimes an animated result. Properly understood and viewed it is aremarkable and complex paradolic art form that was practiced and developed over (at least)hundreds of years. It is the basis of anti counterfeiting devices built into coin dies, etc.It is possible to match this artwork across mediums to an individual artist. The complexity ofthese images means they were not , but used over and over by the same artist.

Also take note of the areas circled in yellow. If you zoom in you should be able to make outwhat appears to be tiny numbers, letters and symbols. Notice that most of the scratches areactually under the plating. This is the method used to prepare the surface for plating whilecreating the base of the shaded imagery. This is present on both medals, but the plating on the medal is in much better condition and harder to determine whether it has beenstored better than the 1793 or it is not as old.

Be aware these embellishments require very specific light, magnification and viewing anglesto properly view. It's a learning process that may take years to develop and thousands of hoursof study to begin to recognize particular artist's traits. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't cometo you right away. The couple pictures I included really aren't the greatest or meant to be sometype of definitive explanation. I am just pointing out areas of interest for your own study. Relicsthat are in hand and pictures taken from proper angles etc. yield much better results.The oval GW medals in particular are spectacular works of esoteric art. Acknowledgement andstudy of this art form has the potential to add extreme value to these and other hand engravedrelics.

In my opinion the medal in question has too many positive attributes to dismiss out of handand should be submitted for a proper metallurgical study. It's not enough to just say which is about all you get out of the usual suspects as far as atechnical dissertation or better yet (of former collectors). With noreal history other than that. I always wonder how it was even possible that a relic as beautifuland at one time as revered as a GW Peace Medal lost the identity of its original recipient andits true history (especially the large and midsize)

Regardless of my opinion or anyone else's, the medal sold for around $8000.That certainly is not a bogus price for a medal. The bidders must believe it has a shotat being authentic or appreciate the study of esoterica. These early oval GW medals fall into aclass of their own. They are so scarce that the study of previously unknown medals such asthis should be approached with the belief that it may be authentic and left to engravingscholars and modern forensics.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NUMISMATIC NUGGETS: JANUARY 9, 2022 : 1792 Indian Peace Medal?(https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n02a20.html)
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JANUARY 16, 2022 : On That 1792 Indian Peace Medal(https://www.coinbooks.org/v25/esylum_v25n03a17.html)