(1779) AE Medal Betts-566, Original Dies De Fleury at Stony Point, BN MS(PCGS#524988)

August 2021 ANA U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

5009

等级

MS62BN

价格

233,224

详细说明

Very Rare Bronze Original De Fleury at Stony Point Medal Discovered in Europe 1779 Francois-Louis Teissedre de Fleury, Assault on Stony Point Medal. Original Dies. Paris Mint. By Pierre Simon DuVivier. Adams-Bentley 6, Betts-566, Julian MI-4. Bronze. MS-62 BN (PCGS). 45.5 mm. Plain edge. Lovely Mint State quality for this rare entry in the Comitia Americana series. Satiny and mildly semi-reflective in the fields, both sides are beautifully toned in warm, even autumn-brown. Light olive-copper overtones engage much of the reverse, yet have a more mottled distribution on the obverse. The strike is well executed with universally sharp detail throughout the design. A few minor handling marks in the expansive field areas on both sides are noted solely for accuracy, as they hardly detract. Raised die spalling is seen beneath the letters AC in AUDACIAE, three individual lumps are present above the left side of the exergual line at the bases of the letters RT in VIRTUTIS, and the reverse has a tiny die rust pit midway between the words PALUDES and HOSTES. These features are present on the silver impressions and, as Adams and Bentley report, "Specimens with these characteristics are undoubtedly from the original run." Any De Fleury medal in original form is a rarity. In silver, this medal is an extraordinary prize, the Adams-Bentley census enumerating five examples in that composition. The unique specimen in private hands fetched $120,000 in our November 2019 sale of the John W. Adams Collection. Bronze medals appear only occasionally, with nine examples listed on the Adams-Bentley census, making this among the most elusive of the "collectible" Comitia Americana medals. Two were present in our (Stack's) May 2006 Ford XIV Sale. While two others were listed in the "Midwestern Collection" in the census, only one original actually appeared in the Newman sales (Heritage, May 2014, lot 30434), bringing $41,125. Two of the nine listed are impounded (Colonial Williamsburg and the British Museum). Our aforementioned John W. Adams Collection sale also contained a bronze original and, of course, the present example must also be included in the expanded census. Discovered in Europe by John Kraljevich and then included in the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, it is among the very best - and certainly most attractive - survivors of this elusive rarity, one of perhaps only a half dozen or slightly more in private hands. While the Smithsonian Institution holds 10 examples of this medal, all are either from U.S. Mint copy dies, electrotypes of originals, or - a twist - an electrotype of a copy. The Battle of Stony Point One need not be a military mastermind to look at a map and understand the strategic importance of the Hudson River. From New York City's seaward port to the Canadian border, the Hudson River acts as a wet superhighway, navigable for all but a 12 mile overland portage from the falls of the Hudson to the southern tip of Lake George, whose northern end connects to Lake Champlain at Fort Ticonderoga. Control of this waterway could effectively cleave New England from the mid Atlantic states and thus manage the entire Northern theatre of the American Revolution. When two minor forts along the Hudson fell into British hands in May 1779, Washington was alarmed. Sir Henry Clinton's forces captured Verplanck's Point and Stony Point, across the river from each other at a narrow choke point 12 miles downriver from West Point. The forts themselves weren't of great importance, but they represented the termini of Kings Ferry, the main commercial path across the Hudson in the region. With West Point fortified to command the river, and Washington's main army in the area, it was important to retake what was lost. Washington worked quickly, asking Pennsylvania Line commander Gen. Anthony Wayne to lead an expedition against Stony Point, on the west side of the river. The British position was atop a hilly peninsula that was accessible only from the low swampland to the west. Wayne built a small force of infantry and engineers to retake Stony Point. The 1,150 men of the Light Infantry gathered in the middle of the night under a veil of darkness and silence; Wayne is said to have had dogs in the neighborhood killed so none would sound an alarm. Muskets were unloaded and bayonets were fixed, giving Wayne not only the advantage of a quiet approach, but also a chance to avenge the bayonet massacre near his Pennsylvania home that became known as the Battle of Paoli. "Remember Paoli" became one of the rallying cries of his force as they put their bayonets to use at Stony Point. Wayne commanded the full body of troops, while the right and left advance guards were commanded by the patrician French engineer Lt. Col. Francois De Fleury and Major John Stewart, respectively. De Fleury was the first to breach the fort's earthworks and grab the British flag, yelling "The fort's our own!" When Wayne wrote to Washington at daybreak to report the victory, he told the general "our officers and men behaved like men who are determined to be free." Wayne and his men had captured valuable supplies, more than 500 British soldiers, and 15 artillery pieces in 25 minutes of brisk action, losing just 15 killed. This was not a major battle, nor was it a major victory, but its success nonetheless delighted Washington and the members of the Continental Congress, none of whom had gotten much good news during the 1779 campaign season. Wayne, De Fleury, and Stewart were all voted medals just days after the taking of Stony Point. The result of the De Fleury resolution is represented here by one of the rare original strikings in bronze. Provenance: From the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation. Earlier ex John Kraljevich, discovered in Europe. Click here for certification details from PCGS. Image with the PCGS TrueView logo is obtained from and is subject to a license agreement with Collectors Universe, Inc. and its divisions PCGS and PSA.