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Sale 103
February 18-21 2018 Pre Long Beach Sale
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Lot 1438 |
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1853. Congressional Naval Bronze Medal (102. mm). Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated prooflike with lovely antique reddish overtones. Obverse: Engravings of the St. Louis and the Hussar, line signatures of the engravers and designers of the medal - James Barton Longacre, Seth Eastman, and Peter Cross, Longacre's assistant. Also, each ship is named at "Smyrna", American Ship of War St. Louis", and "Austrian Brig of War Hussar." Reverse: "Presented by the President of the United States to Commander Duncan N. Ingraham as a Testimonial of the High Sense entertained by Congress of His Gallant and Judicious Conduct on the 2nd of July, 1853, Joint Resolution of Congress Augustus 4th, 1854". Also with line signatures of Seth Eastman and J.B. Longacre.
Issued for Commander Duncan Nathaniel Ingraham (1802-1891) by President Franklin Pierce for his part in the famous Koszta Affair., which delineated the U.S. State Department's position on the treatment of immigrants who were not yet fully naturalized. Signed by Longacre, Seth Eastman, and Peter F. Cross, the designers.
Martin Koszta, a Hungarian by birth, was wanted by the Austrian government for having been a leader in the Hungarian uprising in 1848-49. The purpose was to detach Hungary from Austrian rule; when it failed, Koszta declared his intention of becoming an American citizen, and renounced all foreign allegiance. After residing in the United States for nearly 2 years, he went to Turkey on business where he was arrested by Austrian officers and taken by force to the Austrian brig-of-war Hussar. American officials in Turkey protested to the Turkish government and to the Austrian officers to no avail.
On july 2, 1853, Duncan Ingraham, Commander of the sloop-of-war St. Louis which was lying in Smyrna Harbor, threatened to open fire on the Hussar if Koszta was not released by 4 o'clock. After some negotiation he was released to the French embassy and later cleared to return to the United States where he became a citizen.
Secretary of State William Marcy, in a letter to Baron Hülsemann, the Austrian chargé d'affairees in Washington, defined the U. S. position: "that Koszta when seized and imprisoned, was invested with the nationality of the United States, and they had therefore the right, if they chose to exercise it, to extend their protection to him; that from international law - the only law which can be rightfully appealed to for rules in this case - Austria could derive no authority to obstruct or interfere with the United States in the exercise of this right, in effecting the liberation of Koszta; and that Captain Ingraham's interposition for his release was, under the extraordinary circumstances of the case, right and proper." Ingraham received a gold medal from Congress for his heroism.
He became a Captain and served as Chief of Ordnance and Hydrographer of the Navy from 1856-1860. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Ingraham entered the Confederate States Navy with the rank of Captain. He served as Chief of Ordnance from 1861-1863, and was Commandant of the Charleston naval station from 1862-1865.
Four U.S. Ships have been named after Captain Ingraham. In an old plush leather box (probably not the original box). Estimate Value $750 - UP
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| Realized
$529 |
Lot 1439 |
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The Franklin Mint Version of the Thomason Medallic Bible. A special collector's edition struck by the Franklin Mint based on the original idea of Sir Edward Thomason of Birmingham, England. This special collection includes 60 beautiful silver medals, each contains 1.3 troy oz of sterling silver (a total of about 72.15 troy oz of pure silver). Each medal depicts a scene or story from the bible on the obverse and quotation on the reverse. All housed in the original album as issued with a foreword introducing the background of these issues and descriptions below each medal. Medals are in Gem Proof conditions. Lot of 60 medals. Estimate Value $850 - UP
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| Unsold |
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