Stack's Bowers Galleries Announces Sale of the Ronald A. Slovick Family Collection of Indian Peace Medals

Stack's Bowers Galleries is excited to announce the upcoming sale of the Ronald A. SlovickFamily Collection of Indian Peace medals, a highlight of their Spring 2024 Official Auction of the Whitman Coin &Collectibles Spring Expo.

Ronald A. Slovick's interest in this series was sparked in the 1970s by his introduction to a selection of historiclithographs of Native American chiefs produced by McKinney and Hall in the 19th century. Many of these colorfulprints documented chiefs proudly wearing their Peace medals, and Mr. Slovick was immediately drawn to them. wrote Slovick of his initial interest, and the medals weretangible markers of the interactions between them and the government of the United States. His son also developedan interest in the medals and, as often is the case, father and son collected with shared enthusiasm. Specimens wereadded to the collection across decades, starting with, according to Slovick, a He not only collected the medals, but also becameimmersed in their history and developed a fine friendship with Father Francis Paul Prucha, author of a standardreference on the series.

The collection stands as one of the most important ever assembled, with 23 original medals in silver, 19 of which areof the American series from George Washington to Ulysses S. Grant. While not complete as to president and size,this collection must be counted among the most significant Stack's Bowers Galleries has ever offered due to asingular highlight: a magnificent second size 1795 oval George Washington medal presented at the Treaty ofGreenville. This is a type that few collectors get to see in their lives, let alone have the opportunity to include in theircollections. It is a superb medal offering outstanding quality as well as a remarkable history! commented John Pack, Executive Director of Consignments.

The Slovick Family Collection also includes other very significant medals notable for their rarity and quality. Amedium-size Thomas Jefferson medal, an exceptional entry in any collection, is represented by a very attractiveexample formerly in the David W. Dreyfuss Collection. Other highlights in the American series include large-sizeexamples of James Madison, James Monroe (a great rarity of the series), John Quincy Adams, James K. Polk(arguably the finest in private hands), Andrew Jackson (ex Captain Andrew Zabriskie), and Abraham Lincoln. Afine selection of bronzes rounds out the offering. The British series is represented by several important offerings,including a prized Lion and Wolf medal and a small-size George III medal that is believed unique in private hands.