Whatever it is, it is a very nice looking canoe. The long cherry decks really trim one of these out. What I find fascinating is how well fitted these large cherry decks are and also that they seem to have been largely custom fitted. When I was making forms to make cowlings, I assumed that I would make one and that would do the trick. What I learned as I made the second form is that someone had shaped two entirely different radius so that the decks could properly span between the rails. To the eye, this was not evident at all.
I have also run across what was I was certain was an American Beauty. Dan kindly took me off the ceiling. The one in Clayton is one I am certain of, sadly, not mine, but a beautiful canoe regardless. You should take a drive up there to look it over. It might hold some clues.
Without asking specifically who the appraisers were/was, I will say that I have found that there are a number of identifications/appraisals done in New York state that I learned are probably wrong. One of them involved a boat that I own and others were boats I found for sale that had been appraised by folks who were shy of the mark. Most of the ones I have seen that were wrong date back (the appraisals) to the 70's/80's.
