1776 (1783) AE Medal Betts-615, Libertas Americana, BN MS(PCGS#151815)

November 2017 Baltimore U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

20

等级

AU55BN

价格

103,423

详细说明

Historic Libertas Americana Medal A Second Opportunity "1781" (1782) Libertas Americana Medal. Bronze. 47 mm. By Augustin Dupré. Betts-615, Adams and Bentley-15. AU-55 (PCGS). This is a choice and appealing example of this classic rarity with rich reddish-brown patina over remarkably smooth surfaces. Only a few surface marks are noted, with just two of them being significant enough to identify this particular medal: a very small contact mark beneath the letter E in AMERICANA on the obverse, and a tiny attempted puncture inside the border at 12 o'clock on the reverse. Additionally, the obverse shows a small area of darker toning over and around the letters IB in LIBERTY. This example is evenly and well struck with all the detail of the high relief motifs boldly impressed. Fewer than 200 examples of this medal are known to exist in bronze, varying in grade from well worn to Gem Mint State, with the present piece among the nicer specimens. There is perhaps no medal or coin that speaks so loudly about the birth of the United States of America as the Libertas Americana medal. The ownership of a Libertas Americana medal adds depth to any collection of American coins and medals, and the present beauty will be a focal point in its next numismatic cabinet. The Libertas Americana medal was voted by collectors as number one in The 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokensbook by Jaeger & Bowers. It is also one of only two historic medals significant enough to be cataloged in the standard reference A Guide Book of United States Coins. Designed by Augustin Dupré in Paris in 1782, this beautiful medal was instigated by Benjamin Franklin, then minister to France and representative of the newly proclaimed United States of America. Every single specimen of this medal can trace its provenance directly back to him. The most prominent feature for history buffs is the date below Liberty's bust on the obverse -- 4 JUIL 1776. The head of Liberty facing left with her cap on a pole inspired the earliest U.S. Mint engravers to make the liberty cap motif part of our nation's earliest coinage in 1793. Dupre's design is about as beautiful and intricate as a medal can be, especially on the reverse. The reverse features are laden with symbolism: an infant Hercules representing the new American nation strangles two serpents that represent the British armies at Saratoga and Yorktown, the beginning and end of struggles during the Revolution. France, here depicted as Minerva, holds a shield above the infant America and her spear keeps the British lion at bay; the lion's tail between its legs is a symbol of England's defeat. The dates in exergue, October 17, 1777 and October 19, 1781, represent the dates of the American victories at Saratoga and Yorktown. Two Libertas Americana medals were struck in gold for the king and queen of France, several more than that were struck in silver for European monarchs, court ministers and museums, and more still in bronze, as here. The fate of the two gold medals is unknown today, though hope springs eternal that a gold Libertas Americana medal will show up someday. There are 25 to 30 or so known in silver, all of which are greatly prized. The 200 or so pieces estimated to exist in bronze are hardly less a treasure, and their number allows many collectors today to enjoy the ownership of what is perhaps the most widely desired of early American numismatic prizes. Provenance: From the LJV Philadelphia Collection.