1711 Medal Betts-108 Silver American Aloe Plant MS(PCGS#889624)

November 2021 Baltimore U.S. Coins auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

10003

等级

AU55

价格

36,698

详细说明

1711 American Century Plant Medal. Betts-108. Silver. AU-55 (PCGS). 38.7 mm. 234.9 grains. Attractive pale blue with subtle gold and rose on lustrous and attractive silver gray surfaces. Bright luster remains around design elements and legends on both sides, haloed in multicolor highlights and somewhat reflective in areas. Only the most trivial evidence of handling is visible, with no damage or flaws worth noting. A very attractive medal with a fine original appearance. A rarity in the Betts series, and an unusual entry that celebrates neither place nor person, neither war nor peace, but a plant. Native to desert areas of Mexico and the American Southwest, Agave Americanahas often been called the "century plant" for the infrequency of its blooms (seemingly, once a century, though the plant's lifespan is actually far less). It was extraordinarily exotic in Europe in the early 18th century, and every time one bloomed in some carefully curated garden, it became worthy of medallic commemoration. The Betts listed series ranges from Betts-103, dated 1700, to Betts-110, dated 1726, though the text is careful to point out "there are other 'Century plant medals' beside the foregoing … of a date too late to entitle them to a place in this volume, or the plant is of a different species and not of American origin." Betts did miss a 1716-dated medal that fits in this series, depicting Empress Elizabeth Christina on the obverse; Ford's specimen transferred to Adams and remains the sole example your cataloger has encountered. Of the 103 to 110 series, Ford lacked 104, 106, and 107. Adams had all but 106, making it the most complete run of these interesting medals ever assembled. Betts-103 and Betts-110 seem to be the ones offered most frequently, which is to say decades may not pass between offerings. This particular number celebrates the massive agave in the Bosian Garden in Leipsic, the same plant honored by the 1700-dated Betts 103. The reverse of this medal is the same as the Betts-103 sold as Ford:819. Ford:818 and Ford:820, both attributed as Betts-103, were struck from different dies that were of an identical general type. Both sides depict the plant on this variety. The obverse includes the name of the gardener, naturally: "CULTOR / E. PEIN" is hidden among the leaves, guaranteeing that 21st century American collectors would properly honor the name of Elias Pein, who watered this thing. The reverse shows the plant's towering size using a man, at right, as scale - fairly accurately, even, considering the 28-foot-tall plant is about four times taller than the figure next to it. This example, from the Ford sale, has been off the market since that 2006 auction, an interval over which only the 2014 Adams specimen has been offered publicly. We know of no other American auction records for this Betts number. Provenance: From the E Pluribus Unum Collection. Earlier from Jacques Schulman, May 1967; our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XIII, January 2006, lot 823. 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.