The LaRiviere Specimen of 1782 Betts-605, Welcoming John Adams to Amsterdam

1782 Treaty of Commerce with Holland medal. Betts-605. Silver, 33.5 mm. Choice About Uncirculated. Richly reflective, lustrous surfaces show deep violets and golds against a light, sedate olive gray without it. Some light evidence of handling is seen, widely scattered and fairly minor. The eye appeal is excellent, and the provenance is better: from the cabinet of Lucien LaRiviere, whose 2001 auction ushered in a new era in Betts medal collecting that was capped by the sale of the Ford Collection in 2005. LaRiviere acquired this piece from Dick August in May 1981. The medal itself, as discussed in an article I wrote earlier this year in The Numismatist, was engraved by J.G. Holtzhey in late 1782. John Adams thanked him for his specimen in January 1783 and recommended he sell some in Boston and Philadelphia. Today, specimens of this medal, rich with symbolism and flush with history, are avidly sought. Luckily, most tend to still look pretty nice. This one will please a connoisseur from the same mold as Mssrs. August and LaRiviere...Sold

1897 Chicago Horse Show medal. Silver, 80 mm. Choice Mint State. Signed SPAULDING & CO, CHICAGO. A majestic, large, high relief medal, very rare and beautifully toned. Were this more common, it would be a classic among the agricultural medals -- but most of the major collectors have never seen one before! Whatever case this was issued in imbued simply amazing toning of bright pale blue, fading to deep gold at the peripheries on the obverse, while the reverse shows gold, maroon, and violet with a complete blue frame at the edges. Some light hairlines and a few light abrasions are seen, but clearly this was handled carefully. Awarded to M.W. Dunham, perhaps the most famous horse breeder of his day. Dunham's horse Paladin won first place at the Chicago Horse Show in 1897; this medal may have been that prize. A medal that is as beautiful as it is rare, showing one of the most dynamic depictions of a horse I've encountered on a medal. This one is a collection centerpiece...Sold

Beautiful Quality 1782 "Holland Declares America Free" Medal

1782 Holland Declares America Free. Betts-607. Silver, 34 mm. Plain Edge. Choice Mint State. I catalogued this piece for the Stack's 2012 Americana sale and described it as follows: "A superb example of this important Revolutionary-era historical medal, produced for sale to the pro-American Dutch masses. The name of this medal is a translation of the obverse legend, showing America holding a caduceus of commerce in one hand while clutching arrows and a liberty pole in the other. The reverse legend translates to 'the general wish' while displaying the fruits of commerce, suggesting how much the Netherlands stands to gain by replacing Great Britain as the primary American trading partner. The surfaces are deeply toned and fully lustrous, with dark silver gray sharing space with deep blue on the obverse, while the reflective reverse shows hints of gold, rose and blue. Ford's was a Choice EF that sold for $1,150, while the Craige-LaRiviere specimen brought $2,070 when sold by us (Stack's) in September 2009. This is nicer than either, with just a very tiny rim tick at 8 o'clock on the obverse noted as a flaw. We cannot recall a finer example at auction in the past decade." I figured it would bring about $2000-2200, given what the LaRiviere piece brought in a very soft late 2009 market. It sold for less, so I can offer this choice and fairly scarce Revolutionary-era medal for...Sold

A Betts Medal ... Depicting Andrew Jackson?

(ca. 1860) Andrew Jackson portrait medal by C. Wyllys Betts. White metal, 44 mm. Dewitt AJACK-A. Choice About Uncirculated. A rare and unusual production of C. Wyllys Betts, engraved when he was a student at Yale, about the same time he was producing his legendary colonial-themed copies and fantasies. The three-quarter profile portrait of Jackson shows a folk-art sensibility, though the deep relief and poor striking technique (a hand-held sledge hammer) didn't bring up much of the central detail on either side. The eye appeal is excellent, with strong lustre, no corrosion, only a few tiny spots and minor surface abrasions. Despite the soft consistency, the rims are in pretty good shape, with only a couple little nicks. Betts signed the piece "CWB" underneath the bust. Betts produced a very similar William Henry Harrison medal (and various intermulings), listed as Dewitt WHH-B. Both are rare and hardly ever encountered in the marketplace. C. Wyllys Betts was a fascinating character, a mischievous young numismatist, a pioneering paleontologist, and a legendary numismatic author whose 1894 American Colonial History As Illustrated By Contemporary Medals is still the standard reference on early American medals. This rarity is a conversation starter...Sold

Popular Silver NON INFERIORA METALLIS 1754 Franco-American Jeton

1754 Franco-American jeton. Betts-389, Breton-514. Silver, 28 mm. Choice Extremely Fine. Reeded edge, coin turn. An original mid-18th century striking of this popular medal, listed in Betts, Frossard's work on Franco-American jetons, and the pre-Confederation Canadian literature. Good lustre persists with ideal toning of light pastel blue at the peripheries framing golden-gray centers. A little worn but choice for the grade, with only the most insignificant marks or hairlines. This series was struck to promote settlement in New France, which in 1754 included the entire Ohio River Valley, the Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes, and modern-day Canada. It was in this year, 1754, that young George Washington first came to blows with French soldiers defending their claim in western Pennsylvania, a small calamity that led to the French and Indian War. This type symbolizes the attraction New France held succinctly, with two beavers on a dam and the legend NON INFERIORA METALLIS, or "not inferior to metals," a 18th century summation of beaver fur being as good as gold. It was, and that was why the English sought control of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Had the French settled more colonists there earlier, perhaps Detroit would be pronounced Day-twa. This late effort at marketing might not have helped the French cause, but they have delighted collectors for a century and a half. Nice original silver pieces with this kind of toning are very desirable...Sold

1859 Elisha Kent Kane medal. Silvered white metal, 51 mm. By George H. Lovett. Choice Mint State. Some bright lustre shines forth around peripheral legends, with the fields showing the odd texture of silvered white metal, a shimmering matte surface whose dark gray toning has taken on exquisite blue and violet toning highlights. A few very minor little marks on the raised rim are present, probably present before striking but never obliterated. The dies by Lovett are crisply defined, including the portrait of Kane and the tableau of his Arctic adventure below. The reverse is the same as Baker-289, the Non Nobis Solum Masonic medal. Kane's heroic explorations of the Arctic and his death at 37 in 1857 made him one of America's most famous men. This large format 2 1/2 inch medal is a fine stepping-stone into a collector of Arctic explorer medals and one of the best regarded of Lovett's works...Sold

1941 Detroit Coin Club / Albert Avery Grinnell medal. Antiqued silver, 38 mm. Mint State. An attractive and scarce portrait medals of one of the most legendary U.S. paper money collectors, Albert A. Grinnell, whose collection was sold in seven parts by Barney Bluestone just a few years after this medal was produced. This medal looks about as it did when issued, with some hairlines in keeping with its production patina and a couple little spots noted. It was first distributed at the Detroit Coin Club's January 23, 1941 meeting, their 400th. One can imagine it was probably pretty cold that night, but getting a medal might have drawn a few more members from their warm homes. Grinnell lived in a beautiful home at 1515 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. His paper money collection has been recounted by Dave Bowers as including "35 National Gold Bank notes, one $100 "Watermelon" Coin Note of 1890 and two $1,000 "Grand Watermelon" Coin Notes, 3,300 National Bank Notes (including 750 from Grinnell's home state of New York and 260 from his adopted state of Michigan), and 43 examples of major currency errors, including two sheets of notes with $10 faces and $5 backs which, offered in the final sale, realized $3,550 each, or probably as much as a 1913 Liberty Hed nickel would have been worth at the time!" This medal would be a fine accessory for an advanced Federal paper money collection, particularly one including notes with a Grinnell pedigree...Sold

An American Revolutionary Medal from Germany, Betts-560

1778 "German Prayers for Peace" medal. Betts-560. White metal with copper scavenger, 38.5 mm. About Uncirculated. A fascinating entry in the Revolutionary-era Betts series. The fraktur font is familiar to anyone who's spent time in Pennsylvania Dutch country, not coincidentally populated by descendants of 18th century Germans. The obverse depicts the "hand of fate" weighing war and peace, with a globe labeled AMERICA, EUROPA, AFRICA and ASIA surrounded by trophies of war. The legend on the obverse is translated by Betts as "Consider the balance, it brings each day joy or trouble," while the lengthy reverse is rendered as "Nearly the whole world have whet their swords! O Lord, let Crown and Throne blossom with palms of peace. Speak Thou to all the world, Speak Thou to the German Empire this great word of blessing, My Peace be with you. 1778." It ain't Shakespeare, but it fits. This primarily tin medal is utterly free of tinpest, thanks to the copper scavenger, a tiny plug struck into the planchet at the date and visible on the other side, which kept the rest of the medal corrosion free. The surfaces show minor wear but are problem free. Far scarcer than most of the post-Revolutionary European peace medals or the various Dutch medals of the era, and still underappreciated by collectors...Sold

1883 Centennial of the Evacuation of New York by the British medal. Baker-459. White metal, 44 mm. Mint State. Deeply reflective fields contrast sharply with the immense relief of the obverse portrait of Washington by C.C. Wright and the reverse legends by Anthony C. Paquet. Some light hairlines, a bit of minor toning, but very appealing overall. For well over a century, November 25 was celebrated in New York City as Evacuation Day, marking the day the British occupiers finally left Manhattan after the American Revolution. This medal is the most iconic of those produced for the centennial celebration...Sold

1670 Colonization medal. Betts-44. Silver, 41 mm. About Uncirculated. A beautiful example of the earliest readily collectible English Betts medal. Deep olive gray toning gracefully covers the obverse, while the reverse is even and pleasing light silver gray. A couple little marks are noted here and there, none serious. This medal is sometimes seen quite worn, and it clearly saw wide distribution. The reverse depicts a hemispherical view of the Atlantic, including the North American coastline, with the legend BRITANNVS DIFFVSVS IN ORBE suggesting the range of the empire Charles II and his bride, Catherine of Braganza, ruled. This medal was struck the year that Charles Town, South Carolina was founded, an outpost meant to prevent incursion of the Spanish up the Atlantic coast. In 1687, this medal turns up in the correspondence of Samuel Pepys, who was offered a specimen by the deputy director of the Royal Mint. Popular with early American medal collectors, map and globe enthusiasts, and collectors of British medals, Betts-44 comes only in silver and, very rarely, gold. This one is prettier than most survivors...Sold

Famous 1762 Morro Castle Medal, Celebrating (?) the Loss of Havana

1762 Morro Castle medal. Betts-443. Bronze, 50 mm. About Uncirculated. Once mounted, with a tiny square of apparently pure gold remaining on the rim at 12:00. The surfaces are pleasing and smooth, showing none of the pebbliness associated with worn and displayed medals, just some light superficial hairlines. The toning is an ideal milk chocolate, enriched with some faint blue and gold. Some apparent mint red in reverse interstices owes more to some old removal of surface schmutz than original color. When I catalogued the two specimens of this medal in the John W. Adams collection, here's how I described the Morro Castle medal: "One of the most noteworthy pieces of medallic art in the Betts series, and quite possibly the only medal struck to mark a battle that was lost. The medal was engraved by Tomas Francisco Prieto as an official and sanctioned memorial to Luis de Velasco and Vincenzo Gonzalez, the commanders of the fort who died in valiant fashion while defending it. The reverse depicts in gory detail the explosion of the fort's magazine at the end of the British siege, with an inscription that Betts translates as "They ended their lives in glory in the Morro Castle." Velasco was given several chances to surrender, under almost any terms, but he denied the British forces the chance to capture the fortress by any means besides completing the siege. Velasco and Gonzalez were both killed in hand-to-hand combat, when a rush of British and provincial troops overtook the fort.

Some three thousand Americans fought in the battle for Havana, including Bunker Hill hero Israel Putnam. When Great Britain gave Cuba back to Spain in 1763, they received Florida in return; when Spain joined the American Revolution on behalf of the provincials, this was not far from their mind. This seemingly foreign medal would have been well recognized by the Revolutionary generation, to whom service in Havana attained nearly legendary status. This medal attains similar heights in the Betts series today." The bronze example in the Adams sale brought $3,450; the silver one brought nearly three times that. This one looks very nice despite some minor issues. It was proudly worn and displayed in its era, probably by a soldier who served during the battle. He prized it, as would any collector...Sold

Rare 1838 New Haven Bicentennial US Mint Medal

1838 New Haven Bicentennial medal. Julian CM-37. Bronze, 55 mm. Choice About Uncirculated. Dies by C.C. Wright, design by John Allan and Ithiel Town. Ideal glossy chocolate brown patina, exemplary eye appeal on both sides. The dies appear somewhat rusted, and a light crack is present through the second S of BLOSSOM on the reverse. The city view of New Haven by Wright is detailed and as well accomplished as any architectural types in the US Mint catalogue, while the obverse scene of the colonists and natives is signed by Wright in the lower left. The designs were initially accomplished by famed early numismatist John Allan, according to research by Q. David Bowers. Allan, an eminence grise of the coin industry when it blossomed in the late 1850s, was assisted by architect Ithiel Town. A very scarce issue, earlier than most commemorative medals in the Julian series and one of only a few engraved by the estimable Charles Cushing Wright...Sold

1739 Admiral Vernon at Portobello medal. Small size. Pinchbeck metal, 27 mm. Betts-193, McCormick-Goodhart 36, Adams-Chao PBv 11-I. Choice About Uncirculated. Coin turn. A superb example of this diminutive Vernon production, rated Rarity-6 by Adams as a variety though the types of this size are generally far more elusive than the silver-dollar sized types, particularly so in high grade. In fact, this one is sharper than the Adams Collection specimen (illustrated on page 57 of that monumental work), showing far better definition on Vernon's portrait and coat. The surfaces retain much of their brassy originality, somewhat darker toned at peripheries of both sides, a bit hairlined in the right obverse field but very attractive overall. Some light old buildup adheres, more on the reverse than obverse, and a circular area of toning is present in the upper reverse field. A handsome little piece, an ideal and sharp example to represent this quarter-sized type...Sold

"1797" (i.e. ca. 1850s) Washington Sansom medal. Baker-71A. Bronze, 41 mm. Gem Mint State. The nicest example I've ever encountered from this advanced, rusted state of the dies, with full reflectivity remaining on the perfectly bronzed surfaces. Just a gorgeous piece. While most occasions of "die rust" in American numismatics are spalling, a chipping of the die steel, this is genuine rust, suggesting that these original Sansom dies had gone into several years of disuse before being resurrected in the 1850s. This medal was struck from the original ca. 1805 dies, apparently just before the 1859 copy dies were put into production. A specimen in the September 2010 Stack's Americana sale was not as nice as this but realized almost $700. This superb piece would improve most established Washingtoniana collections...Sold

Classic 1760 Canada Subdued Medal, Based on the Judea Capta

1760 Canada Subdued medal. Bronze, 39 mm. Betts-430. Choice About Uncirculated. An absolutely gorgeous example of this very scarce French and Indian War medal, showing strong reflectivity and lustre on the obverse and bold detail in the high relief devices. The surfaces are choice chocolate brown with some golden highlights and hints of mint color here and there. This is every bit as nice as the Ford piece and probably a little flashier. Among the French and Indian War medals struck by the SPAC (the Society for Promoting Arts and Commerce, later the Royal Society of the Arts), this is the scarcest. Ford had just two in bronze, compared to six Quebec Takens, which probably illustrates the relative rarity fairly accurately. The designs of the series were all classically inspired, though this is the most direct copy of an ancient coin. The reverse replaces a pine tree for a palm tree and a weeping Canadienne for a weeping Jewess; the creepy beaver behind the melancholy captive just drives the location home. For those who love the Betts medal series but are lost within its enormous size and scope, the medals of the French and Indian War offer a very collectible series. Within that series, the several SPAC medals make for a dramatic small collection: Louisbourg Taken, Quebec Taken, Montreal Taken, and Canada Subdued. Add to that Guadeloupe Taken, also listed in Betts; expand to include the Goree Taken, Pondicherry Taken, and Belleisle Taken and the entire SPAC set is complete. This is the most challenging of the first four mentioned to find, particularly in nice condition. The history of the SPAC is fascinating, including characters like Samuel Johnson and Thomas Hollis, and their medals were the toast of the art scene of their day. They are among the most historically and artistically redeeming of the entire Betts canon...Sold

(ca. 1882-1888) U.S. Army Marksmanship medal. Julian MK-8. Bronze, 51 mm. Mint State. Third Class Prize. One of just 59 struck in bronze at the US Mint. Lovely deep mahogany surfaces show just minimal handling, including some trivial marks at the center of the blank reverse and a small spot right of center on that side. Bronze examples like this are probably scarcer in real terms than their awarded gold and silver counterparts. This one was one of two owned by John Ford, acquired by him in 1981. It is accompanied by its ticket from Ford VII, January 2005, Lot 232...Sold

(Ca. 1829-34) Washington and Lafayette / Par Nobile Fratrum medal. Baker-197. Silver, 26 mm. MS-62 PL (NGC). Misattributed as Baker-202, which uses a different obverse, on the NGC holder. Rich royal blue toning gathers at the rims on both sides, deeper on the reverse, with deep plum and gold over the obverse, light silver gray overall. Deeply reflective and very hard to photograph through the NGC holder, this piece is lovely in hand despite some light hairlines and a couple infinitesimal marks. Accomplished by Charles Cushing Wright of Wright and Bale (and signed W&B at the base of the obverse), this medal was released into the hoopla surrounding Lafayette's triumphant return tour of the United States. Rulau rates it as Rarity-7. It is indeed quite rare in silver and would represent an exciting addition to a collection of Washingtoniana...Sold

Beautiful 1805 Eccleston Washington Medal

1805 Eccleston medal. Bronze, 76 mm. Baker-85. About Uncirculated. Flashy and lustrous dark chocolate brown with hints of mint color remaining around reverse legends. A handsome example of this largest early Washington medal, said to be the highest relief medal ever produced in England by its proud sponsor, Daniel Eccleston. This one shows some light old scratches in the right obverse field, but the surfaces and eye appeal are otherwise choice. Recently found in non-numismatic hands in Pennsylvania, this is fresh to the market after perhaps a century being tucked away. I typically get in the neighborhood of two grand for choice examples...Sold

1816 Boston Schools medal. Silver, 34 mm. Fuld FR.M.BO.2. Choice Fine. Engraved to Francis White, 1816. Holed for suspension. Dusky old silver gray on both sides. Excellent surface quality for the level of wear, very light "FW" graffiti, presumably by young Francis himself, at upper right obverse. This type was first used in 1800, nearly a decade after the medal was first instituted, endowed by a 100 pound gift to the city of Boston in Benjamin Franklin's will. 21 silver medals were distributed each year in Franklin's hometown, given to the top three students in each of seven city schools. They represent one of the earliest collectible American academic medals, a prize given by Franklin himself to students in the town he left behind as a young man. This one's heavy wear surely indicates how much young master White enjoyed handling it...Sold

1898 Capitol Camera Club of Washington DC award medal. Silver, 40 mm. Unsigned. Mint State. Lovely original dark blue toning over reflective fields. Some dust and fingerprints, minor scattered hairlines, really a lovely old medal from the salad days of amateur photography. The obverse shows an old style camera surrounded by three large Cs and the inscription WASHINGTON DC. This medal was distributed for a work displayed at the 7th annual photography exhibition sponsored by the club. The reverse is engraved on the reverse MW Baldwin / April 25, 1898. It's tempting to attribute this to M.W. Baldwin of the famed Baldwin Locomotive Works, but that connection is speculative. This isn't a medal I've seen before, and I'm sure it's at least very scarce. Early photography medals are generally popular, and this is an interesting one...Sold

1862 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace medal. Julian IP-39. Bronze, 62 mm. Choice About Uncirculated. A beautiful example of this extremely popular Indian Peace medal, perhaps the most popular in the series after Jefferson. Struck from the original dies, this example has gorgeous variegated mahogany bronzed patina, with golds and faint highlights over smooth, attractive surfaces. No marks or rim flaws, a very well preserved specimen of a type that survives in beat up condition fairly often. This is nicer than the Ford piece that brought $1,840 in May 2007. This is the first Lincoln bronze medal I've had in that timeframe, an indication of their scarcity on the market and the high prices they tend to attain when sold at auction...Sold

The Very Rare 1848 James Duncan Medal by CC Wright

1848 Citizens of New York to Brevet Colonel James Duncan medal. White metal, 54 mm. Mint State. A highly elusive medal, struck in bronze and white metal from dies by Charles Cushing Wright and Salathiel Ellis. This piece shows superb detail in the high relief portrait by Wright, bright untoned fields with rich reflectivity, and only minor scattered contact marks. On all known specimens (including this one), there is a substantial vertical die crack from near 12:00 on the obverse through the portrait, likely from the hardening process and a major reason this medal is so scarce. As early as 1867, numismatists were listing this medal among the great historical medals of the 19th century, though today this piece is little known. Since it was struck outside the U.S. Mint -- even though it was produced by two artists who produced many Mint medals -- it is unlisted in Julian and thus obscure. Duncan's heroics in the Mexican War saw him quickly elevated through the ranks. He died of yellow fever in Mobile, Alabama on July 3, 1849. If this medal was listed in Julian, it would sell for twice this sum...Sold

1868 U.S. Grant / Washington medalet. Baker-249, DeWitt USG 1868-25. Silver, 28 mm. Choice Mint State. A very attractive medalet pursued by both political collectors and Washingtoniana enthusiasts. Highly reflective mottled silver gray surfaces exhibit excellent eye appeal and originality. Problem free and nicely preserved. The dies by William H. Key feature a detailed bust of Grant on the obverse and a tiny bust of Washington superimposed atop radiate flags with the legend THE UNION MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED. Rulau lists this as Rarity-8...Sold

(ca. 1858) Washington / Mount Vernon medal. White medal, 64 mm. Baker-111. Choice About Uncirculated. A bold, high-relief portrait of Washington shows cameo contrast, deep gray against lightly nicely toned reflective light gray surfaces. Toned but not pested or corroded, no bad marks, just the faintest bit of high point friction. This specimen has been included in the Washingtoniana collections of Paul Magriel (PCAC, June 1988) and Jack Collins (Stacks, 1996), and appropriate tickets accompany this piece. This medal is not as common as many of its contemporaries (including those from the Philadelphia Mint), and its large size makes it particularly desirable...Sold

Rare Early Die State Preble at Tripoli Medal

1804 Edward Preble at Tripoli medal. Bronze, 68 mm. Julian NA-3. Very Fine and a bit beat up. Dark chocolate brown with some hints of gold and a bit of old surface dirt. Lightly worn, if this was a coin it would be Extremely Fine, but the high points show genuine friction. Lots of little marks on the obverse, rims lightly battered (but without the tasty gravy that usually makes such an adjective palatable), tiny attempted puncture above head. The reverse is pretty clean, aside from the rims. This was clearly carried, handled, and apparently much-loved, if by an unsophisticated owner. What is most interesting about this piece to me is its die state - it's extremely early, with no apparent difference from the silver shells piece in Ford that was likely coined during the Jefferson administration. Nearly all the bronze Prebles you'll see either show a good bit of die rust (even before its super-rusty late die state) and rim breaks, often filed at the Mint. This shows neither, and likely dates from the earliest history of this medal. It's not a beautiful medal, but the color is nice and the detailed relief remains impressive. This early die state is probably R-7, maybe high within that range...Sold

The Extremely Rare Charleston Social Club Medal of 1763
One of Just Two in Private Hands

1763 Charles Town Social Club medal. Bronze, oval, 35.8 x 33.6 mm. Betts-508. Choice Mint State. Without question, this is the most important property that has ever been listed on this website. This medal has intrigued me since I first saw one -- this one -- in the fall of 2001. That was the first time anyone other than John Ford and Lucien LaRiviere had seen one in decades; today's generation of collectors has had the privilege of seeing both privately held specimens, since John Ford's example was sold in 2006. Ford once owned both medals. So too did the consignor to the July 1897 Sotheby, Wilkinson, and Hodge sale in London, a fact that hasn't been previously published. Ford sold this example to LaRiviere in October 1972, keeping the other as the "finer" specimen. While reasonable people could disagree, and the other piece is absolutely gorgeous, I prefer this one for its superior centering and sublime color, which is the same "rich medium chocolate brown with generous mint color in the intricacies of the design" I described back in 2001. The third example was in the Bushnell collection and, in 1882, found its way to William S. Appleton and thence into the permanent collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. One of the specimens was in the collection of the fascinating Thomas Brand Hollis, who died in 1804, affirming its 18th century date.

Aside from its obvious rarity, this medal stands apart from the Betts series on several fronts. Its shape is distinctive, an elegant oval, unique in the series. The design shows two Southern gentlemen of means meeting, "bound in friendship" as the Latin legend states, an iconic representation of the sort of upper-class 18th century life associated with Charleston, South Carolina and also quite unlike any other Betts medal. Further, it is one of very few pieces in the corpus that was intended exclusively for American distribution, along with the Annapolis Tuesday Club medal, the American-made Kittanning Destroyed and Treaty of Easton Quaker peace medals. It is in truly elite company.

Mystery envelopes this medal. It reveals much: it was intended for use in Charleston, South Carolina and was authorized (or marked a founding) on October 6, 1763. Its fabric suggests an English origin. Despite these dangling research carrots, no one has ever puzzled out which of the many social clubs in Charleston commissioned this medal. I described this enigmatic story in a recent Coin World article, the appearance of which happened to bring this piece forth from the woodwork. This is the very first time a Charleston Social Club has ever been publicly offered by private treaty. Since the end of the 18th century, there have been just six appearances of this medal at auction, the first in 1817 and the most recent in 2006. When will the next one be?...Sold

(ca. 1874) Kittanning Destroyed medal. Julian MI-33, Betts-400. Bronze, 48 mm. Mint State. Plain edge. A very rare production of the Philadelphia Mint, one of just 35 struck according to Carl Carlson. The original dies for the Kittanning Destroyed medal were engraved in 1756, making them the very earliest medal dies ever made in the future United States. Those dies survived nearly 120 years, until they finally gave out in 1874. Though these dies are unsigned, they are probably the work of William Barber, who carefully copied the crudity of the originals even though the style of the legends give this away as a late 19th century production. The surfaces show a pleasing medium brown patina with a bit of flash. Some light surface verdigris is noted among the obverse legends, to no great distraction, a few little abrasions are present here and there, and one minuscule rim tick is seen on the reverse at 8:00. Strikes from these dies are actually far rarer than those from the original dies, making this an important rarity for US Mint medal enthusiasts...Sold

1814 Major General Jacob Brown medal. Julian MI-11. Bronze, 65 mm. Choice Mint State. Choice mahogany brown patina is enlivened by golden shades near the central fields and other delicate tones elsewhere. Beautifully preserved, only the most minor hairlines barely visible, some nice reflectivity in the reverse fields. The detail is magnificent, nice from arm's length or under a glass, and this portrait must rank with Moritz Furst's best. Struck to mark Brown's service at Chippawa, Niagara (Lundy's Lane), and the Siege of Fort Erie in the late summer of 1814, the Mint didn't get around to getting Brown a medal until 1822. His gold specimen is in the Smithsonian today, and 128 bronze examples like this one were struck for 19th century collectors...Sold

1815 Major General Andrew Jackson at New Orleans medal. Julian MI-15. Bronze, 65 mm. Choice Mint State. Exemplary reflective light brown, a fairly unusual patina shade for a War of 1812 medal. The obverse shows more reflective gloss than the reverse, only minor handling, single tiny spot over A of GENERAL, thin old scratch in central right obverse field. The Jackson medal is endlessly popular, marking his introduction to the national stage for his victory over the British at New Orleans. Fought after the peace treaty had been signed, it put an exclamation point on the War of 1812 that the treaty of Ghent didn't. Jackson's own gold medal made its way to the ANS after being raffled off on Wall Street by the Jackson descendents in 1885. This one is worth twice today what the gold one was in 1885...Sold

Scarce Eleazer Ripley Medal for Chippewa, Niagara, and Erie
Mintage: 97 Pieces

1814 Eleazar Ripley / Battles of Chippewa, Niagara, and Erie Medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian MI-19. Choice Mint State. An attractive medal by Moritz Furst, with an appealing and distinctive high relief three-quarter portrait of Ripley on the obverse. The patina is a thick mahogany with lively fields and only minor mottling here and there. Free of spots or corrosion, no bad contact points. There aren't too many medals to celebrate the United States invading other countries, but all three battles cited on this medal actually took place during the American invasion of Canada: Chippawa (spelled Chippewa on the medal), Niagara, better known as the Battle of Lundy's Lane, and the Siege of Fort Erie, across the Niagara River from Buffalo, NY. A beautiful example of this scarce War of 1812 piece...Sold

Superb 1814 Macomb / Battle of Plattsburgh Medal

1814 Alexander Macomb / Battle of Plattsburgh medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian MI-16. Choice Mint State. A beautiful lightly bronzed survivor from a mintage of just 133 pieces. Reflective and even tan on both sides, The upper obverse field shows gold and blue toning in its prooflike spaces. Two very minor abrasions in the upper obverse field barely remove this from the gem category. Die rust notable on collar, FURST signature in obverse truncation reduced from lapping. The battle scene on the reverse of the Macomb medal might be Furst's best, inspired by Dupre's masterful Morgan at Cowpens medal and perhaps even more richly detailed. It is beautifully showcased here. War of 1812 medals of this quality rarely last in my inventory long...Sold

High Grade Louisbourg Taken Medalet

1758 Louisbourg Taken / Boscawen medalet. Betts-409. Pinchbeck, 24 mm. About Uncirculated. Some glossy, lustrous surface remains, though areas of the obverse show some dark patina and unnatural red from an ancient cleaning is still present in intricacies of the reverse. The detail on this piece is remarkable, particularly because this tiny entry in the French and Indian War series nearly always comes heavily worn or abused. The Adams specimen was seriously granular, yet was the best encountered over for four decades it took to assemble that cabinet. It brought $299. Ford's was the best one sold in recent memory, netting $1265. This is a very tough to find little item, struck for the masses to celebrate the capture of the most significant French stronghold on the Atlantic coast...Sold

One of just 37 Struck: The Agassiz medal, Julian PE-2

1874 Louis Agassiz medal. Bronze, 63 mm. Julian PE-2. Mint State. If you've graduated from elementary school, you've studied some of Agassiz's theories. He's credited with first proposing the idea of ice ages, following pioneering study of glaciers and paleontology. Swiss by birth, he ended his career at Harvard and died in Massachusetts. The 1896 edition of his Life, Letters, and Works describes this medal as follows:
The other, engraved in 1875 by W. Barber, an artist at the Philadelphia Mint, is much smaller [than another Swiss medal]. The size is 45 millimeters, and is the one used by the National Government for all medals struck to honor the memory of great men in America. The medal taken as a model for that series is the Benjamin Franklin medal, engraved by A. Dupre, in 1784, at Paris. The size is rather small, which gives to all these medals an unattractive appearance. The profile of Agassiz is good, but the details are not so harmonious and exact as they were in nature and in the photograph used by the engraver. On the obverse, the legend is simply Agassiz, without any of his Christian names. On the reverse, we read as exergue na. 1807, ob. 1873, and as legend:Terra Marique Ductor indagatione naturee. This medal also is bronze. During 1876 and 1877 only thirty-one copies were struck; and, in 1879, a silver one was struck, according to the reports of the director of the Mint.
This example is a deep chocolate brown. There is some light evidence of handling, two specks at opposite sides of the obverse inside the rim, and a little area of inactive verdigris inside the rim atop the reverse. There are two versions of this medal, Julian PE-1, the 45 millimeter type described in Life, Letters, and Works, and the rarer PE-2, the larger 63 mm type offered here. Carlson records a mintage of just 37 struck. As one of the few U.S. Mint medals to commemorate a scientist, this medal finds plenty of interest among the sizable proportion of numismatists with an interest in the scientific world...Sold

(1881) Lincoln-Garfield memorial medal. Silver, 25 mm. Julian PR-40. Choice Mint State. The Lincoln portrait side shows magnificent autumnal deep gold toning, with traces of blue at the rims, while the Garfield side is mostly brilliant silver with some of the same tones at the top and the extreme periphery. Lightly handled, with some minor hairlines and other tiny marks in the fields, but still pretty nice for one of these--plenty ended up scrubbed or made into memorial jewelry. Julian notes that 1800 were struck in silver and sold at 60¢ each. They cost more now, especially when they're this nice...Sold

1883 Centennial of the Evacuation of New York by the British medal. Baker-462. White metal, 40 mm. Mint State. Holed as issued. Nice nickel gray with lively lustrous fields, particularly on the reverse. Some light evidence of handling, a little natural flaw under NN of CENTENNIAL on the reverse, very nice looking overall. The obverse depicts Washington on horseback, the reverse shows a charming and detailed scene of the British rowing off to their warships anchored in New York Harbor. Despite its size, and the inclusion of other medals marking this event in the Hibler-Kappen work on so-called dollars, this one didn't make the cut. So it goes. Net result: it's still inexpensive...Sold

1818 Series Numismatica Benjamin Franklin medal by Caqué. Bronze, 41 mm. Choice Mint State. A lovely example of this high relief portrait medal, part of Durand's Series Numismatica medallic gallery of notables. Rich medium brown surfaces show good reflectivity and some delicate toning, most notable in the lower left obverse. No spotting, marks, or friction, far finer than normally seen. Franklin and Washington are the only American worthies included in the series, which numbers north of 100 in total. (Rumor has it a complete set of these will be offered at auction soon.) Struck just 28 years after Franklin's death, this medal notes his Boston birth and the date of his death. It is often included in collections of early American medals despite its French origin...Sold

Superb Quality Oliver Hazard Perry Medal

1813 Oliver Hazard Perry / Battle of Lake Erie medal. Julian NA-17. Bronze, 65 mm. Struck from the ca. 1869 US Mint copy dies. Choice Mint State. Lightly bronzed and very reflective, with remarkable gold, rose, violet, and pale blue highlights on the light tan surfaces. The prooflike fields show some light hairlining, as is typical of Mint medals with these sorts of surfaces. Carlson listed a mintage of just 92 pieces from these dies, which replaced the original dies, broken beyond repair about 1866. Originals of this medal are quite elusive, and examples from these later dies are probably just as rare. This one is essentially unbeatable for quality...Sold

Superb Gates at Saratoga Medal, US Mint Dies
Mintage: 32 Pieces*

(ca. 1893-1904) 1777 Horatio Gates at Saratoga medal. Julian MI-2. Bronze, 56mm. MS-67 BN (NGC). As you would imagine from the grade assigned, this is a really nice medal. Remarkable multicolored and golden toning is present on highly reflective, mark free medium brown surfaces. Perfectly bronzed and pretty nearly unflawed. These dies replaced the original dies, the only dies in the Comitia Americana series that were produced in France but also placed into production at the US Mint. By 1885, those dies had been in service for nearly a century and were ready to be retired. These new dies, presumably by Charles Barber, were first placed into production in 1893 with a mintage of 10 pieces. Up to 1904, when published records end, just 32 had been struck, the last mintage of which was a run of 9 in 1900/01. Perhaps a few more were produced in bronze; none were struck in silver so far as anyone knows. Strictly speaking, this is a very rare Mint medal; Boyd-Ford didn't have it, Dreyfuss didn't have it, and I haven't seen one on the market in the last 5+ years. It is a gem. Is it more or less desirable than a slightly beat up piece that was struck in Paris in the 1780s? I don't know. It is cheaper and prettier...Sold

1813 Governor Isaac Shelby / Battle of the Thames medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian MI-21. Mint State. Beautiful ruddy mahogany bronzing covers both sides, with lightly reflective fields and extremely sharp devices on both sides. An unusual patch of pitting atop the reverse is leftover from a poorly made planchet, mostly hidden in the clouds above the battle. The obverse shows a small area of toning at the lower right obverse beneath B of SHELBY, and a tiny rim nick is present on the reverse near 8:00. The reverse of this medal shows a classic battle scene by Moritz Furst, depicting then sixty-three year old Shelby leading his Kentucky volunteers into battle. The Battle of the Thames, which took place in Ontario about fifty miles from Detroit is best known for being the action that killed Tecumseh, but it also left Detroit as securely American from then on. Tecumseh is actually shown dead under Shelby's horse, his tomahawk thrown aside to the right. This specimen appears to have been struck fairly early, as it shows a collaring line or "witness mark" at 12:00 just like the contemporarily struck white metal (and silver) War of 1812 medals. Nice examples of this medal seem tougher to find than other War of 1812 types...Sold

1760 Lima, Peru Carlos III Proclamation medal. Silver, 37 mm. Betts-469. Extremely Fine. Lustrous medium silver gray with beautiful old golden undertones and hints of pale blue and violet at obverse peripheries. Excellent flash and originality. An old scrape is present under the bust truncation, otherwise free of significant marks. Unholed. A popular medallic four reales, included in the Betts book on early American medals. Its distinctive design would make it a standout in a collection of Spanish colonial silver...Sold

1866 Wreck of the Steamer San Francisco Lifesaving medal. Bronze, 80 mm. Julian LS-11. Choice Mint State. A remarkable medal, one of the largest struck by the US Mint, boldly double struck to bring up the high relief details. The surfaces are finely bronzed, light medium brown, with colorful lustrous reflectivity in the fields. A tiny rim nick is seen on the wire rim above J of JOINT, else this is gem. This large medal tends to come well handled, but this one is beautiful. The dies are by Anthony C. Paquet and have to be listed among the highlights of his US Mint career. This medal was voted by Congress to be awarded in gold to 31 men who helped save lives at the wreck of the S.S. San Francisco, which sank in the Atlantic on Christmas 1853 while ferrying hundreds of people to Panama for eventual arrival in Gold Rush California. About 200 died, but hundreds more were saved. The city of Philadelphia also authorized a medal to be given to mark this rescue, listed in Julian as LS-12. As impressive as this one looks in bronze, I can only imagine how magnificent it would be in gold...Sold

Rare and Popular 1824 Washington / Lafayette Counterstamp on Large Cent

1824 Washington / Lafayette medalet dies counterstamp on (1816-24) large cent. Baker-198C. VF-30 (NGC). An exciting historical relic of the Marquis de Lafayette's triumphant return to New York, struck in September 1824, within weeks of LaFayette's arrival on American soil. The surfaces are choice chocolate brown and glossy, showing some remnants of Matron Head large cent undertype on a a host that had been prepared with a file before striking. The marks are complete and nicely detailed, down to the always-weak date. A holed specimen brought about $2000 last September, but auction appearances of this popular piece are few and far between. This one is very pleasing, and it's history has inspired writers since the 1860s. A prize for Washingtoniana or large cent specialists...Sold

John Reich's Classic 1808 Washington Benevolent Society medal, ex Virgil Brand

1808 Washington Benevolent Society medal. Silver, 42 mm. Baker-327, Julian RF-23. Choice Extremely Fine. Holed, like all that I've ever seen, as these were worn at meetings of the Society, but plugged at some point in the past, presumably before Brand got hold of it sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Washington Benevolent Society chapters existed in most cities from 1808 until 1816, essentially serving as Federalist Party ground troops to gather votes against the Democratic-Republicans. Think of this as the membership badge to a highly political organization that opposed President Jefferson, yet it was struck under contract at the U.S. Mint. These usually show some signs of use, and this too shows some minor marks and short scratches from its life on a Federalist lapel. The fields still show some reflective luster under the pale blue and deep golden fields. Reich's tiny R signature is visible at the right side of the reverse exergue line. Clear double striking is seen on both sides, to best bring up the high relief. A Washingtoniana classic and a fine addition to a collection including other works by John Reich. Ex. Virgil Brand Collection, Bowers and Merena, June 1990, Lot 5012...Sold

Rare Savannah, Georgia Yellow Fever Epidemic Medal of 1876

1876 Savannah (GA) Benevolent Association medal. Bronze, 34 mm. Mint State. A beautiful mahogany bronzed medal, a little speckled on the obverse (as made), deeper at the edges on the reverse. When I bought this medal, having never seen one, it looked familiar -- perhaps just like the very rare 1855 Yellow Fever medal struck for Norfolk, VA, one of which was in Ford IX. Once this was gotten back to the John Kraljevich Americana library, it turns out the obverse is a very precise copy of the Norfolk medal. It is not exact -- this donkey stands a little prouder, and this one is signed R. LAUBENHEIMER. Rudolph Laubenheimer was a German-American engraver who also designed medals to mark the 1876 Centennial and the Columbian Exposition. This medal was produced in gold to present to the doctors who risked their lives during the 1876 yellow fever outbreak in Savannah; just 16 were awarded. The number in bronze may have been similarly small, as Dr. Horatio Storer's "The Medals, Jetons, and Tokens Illustrative of Sanitation" in the 1889 edition of The Sanitarian noted these were "very rare." Presumably, if Ford had seen one, he would have acquired it to accompany the gold Norfolk Yellow Fever medal it so closely follows. Its Biblical imagery -- the Good Samaritan along with the citation from the Gospel of Matthew -- makes this a distinctive award medal; the truncated verse I WAS SICK AND YOU VISITED ME appears as the obverse legend. This would be an intriguing and historic addition to a medical-themed medal collection...Sold
The ANS received their specimen in bronze at the January 1878 meeting.

Original William Washington at Cowpens Comitia Americana Medal

1781 William Washington at Cowpens Comitia Americana medal. Betts-594, Julian MI-8. Bronze, 46 mm. Mint State. Plain concave edge, an original striking. Beautiful glossy tan, still a bit reflective, with rose, gold, blue, and violet highlights in the fields and around devices. Unusually choice for an early die state specimen of this medal. The Washington at Cowpens medal was one of the Comitia Americana medals overseen by Thomas Jefferson while in Paris, and it was Jefferson who carried home silver specimens to give to both William Washington and his distant cousin George. This bronze one has been wonderfully cared for over the years and would be a graceful way to represent the Comitia Americana series in your cabinet...Sold

Exquisite Tiffany Associated Press Medal In Case

1897 Associated Press Director's medal. Silver, 51 mm. With case. Choice Mint State. A majestic medal, impressively toned and struck on a hefty 5.5 mm thick planchet. Beautiful pale blue-green toning frames the obverse periphery, with slightly richer tones mixing with gold at the reverse rims. This example is engraved on the reverse EUGENE H. PERDUE / DIRECTOR / ANNUAL MEETING / MAY 19th 1897. The case is black leatherette, with rich purple silk with gilt stamping inside the front cover and a plush velvet book-style hinged central portion; it is in superb shape. The medal is likewise beautiful, with just some light and minor reverse hairlines that may well come from when this piece was engraved. The only other example of this medal I've been able to trace was also given out at the 1897 meeting, to George Schneider, Treasurer. It sold in an October 1994 Heritage sale and brought $275, back when medals were a backwater and no one was bidding on exonumia in Heritage sales. I have heard of another example in a private collection, as told to me by someone I consider an expert as the only one he'd seen in four or five decades. The medal is dated to the organization of the Associated Press, December 15, 1892, though it's possible this medal was not distributed until 1897 -- or only in 1897. Just seven men sat on the board of the Associated Press at the time, so necessarily these sumptuous presentation medals by Tiffany would have been made in small numbers.

The dies are not signed, but they are expertly composed, particularly the obverse, which features a steam locomotive passing a town with electrical wires strung above. The Western Associated Press was founded in Chicago in 1892 to replace the New York Associated Press, then stung by scandal. The modern AP grew out of this organization, which enabled far-flung Western newspapers to share news and thus compete with the big papers in the East. In 1900, the organization moved to New York City, where it has remained. This medal dates to the first years of one of journalism's most august organizations. The recipient, the editor of the Cleveland Leader, was the President of the Western Associated Press from its founding in 1892 until 1896. Any collection of journalism, railroad, or Tiffany medals would be enriched by the inclusion of this impressive piece...Sold

Majestic "Rock of Chicamauga" Medal to George H. Thomas

(1866) Major General George H. Thomas medal. Bronze, 77 mm. Struck at the Paris Mint. Choice Mint State. CUIVRE and bee mark on edge. In original case of issue. A simply beautiful example of this rare medal, voted to General Thomas by the Unionist government of Tennessee. Thomas received a gold specimen, and a small number of bronze strikings were produced in Paris and distributed by Tiffany. The box is black leatherette, with gilt-stamped purple velvet and a plush deep burgandy book-style casing to hold the medal. It has been rehinged with black tape but is otherwise in excellent condition. The medal is essentially gem, with original and reflective medium brown surfaces showing original dust and just a little spot at his nose. There are few large, majestic Civil War commemorative medals actually struck in the era. Thomas' medal is infrequently seen; a polished example sold in 2009 for $646 and the Ford piece brought $517.50 in 2005. When Tennessee returned to secessionist rule in 1869, the Virginia-born Unionist Thomas threatened to return his gold medal from these dies. He had received his specimen on December 15, 1866 in Nashville, on the second anniversary of his defense of the city. If there is such a thing as a classic Reconstruction medal, rich with the dramatic storylines that defined that era, this is it...Sold

Prooflike 1812 Isaac Hull USS Constitution medal by Reich

1812 Isaac Hull / USS Constitution medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian NA-12. Choice Mint State. Reflective amber and golden brown, only very lightly bronzed and showing surfaces very much like those found on a proof large cent. Light blue and gold toning intermingles with some ancient fingerprinting, again not unlike a proof large cent. Some minor handling, no bad marks, a single nick in the upper right obverse field and a thin vertical scratch in the left obverse field noted. The reverse shows a substantial cud above 9:00. Struck from John Reich's original dies; Reich signed the obverse under the bust truncation. While most of the Hulls I've handled were heavily bronzed to the typical flat glossy patina, highly reflective ones like this are rather unusual.
If you've ever walked Boston's Freedom Trail, you've been on one of the boats depicted on the reverse of this medal. Currently the world's oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitution was captained by Hull when she rain against the HMS Guerriere. It was during this action on August 19, 1812, off the coast of Nova Scotia, that the ship earned her nickname of Old Ironsides. The battle took just over a half hour, which inspired the reverse legend HORAE MOMENTO VICTORIA or "Victory in the space of an hour." Congress voted Hull this medal in January 1813. His gold specimen still survives, on display at the U.S.S. Constitution museum in Boston. You can't buy that one. You're welcome to this one for...Sold

Rare Early Brown University Literary Society Medal

1825 United Brothers Society of Brown University membership medallion. Silver, hand engraved. 56 mm from top of hanger to base of medallion, medallion is diamond shaped and 46 mm from top point to bottom point. Extremely Fine. The obverse shows the UB monogram of the United Brothers Society in fancy script, with a handshake and the date of founding (1806) depicted below. The reverse includes the organizations Greek letters Phi (Φ), Theta (Θ), and Gamma (Γ), the initials of the awardee of this medal (HD, for Horace Dresser) and the date it was presented, 1825. The stirrup shaped hanger allows the medal to pivot and spin on its horizontal axis. The engraving is nice quality, though not superb. The surfaces are typical for a worn academic award of this era, showing some evidence of ancient polishing, some minor handling, but little actual wear.

In 1825, just three members were inducted into the United Brothers Society, of which one was Horace Dresser. Dresser went on to get a law degree from Union College and became a leading abolitionist lawyer. According to his biography in Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, he also published works on the Civil War and on tax law.

The United Brothers Society, according to Brown University's website, was founded in 1806 as the Democratic-Republican (i.e. Jeffersonian) answer to the slightly older Federalist-aligned Philermenian Society. It died out in 1866. This is the only United Brothers Society medallion I've ever encountered. It's a prime piece of Brown University history, linked to the history of liberal student organizations, Greek letter fraternities (of which there are only a handful of older ones), and abolitionism. It's a lot of history and rarity for...Sold

Superb 1896 United States Gold Lifesaving Medal, Awarded for the Rescue of the Seventy-Six
Wrecked in a hurricane off Bermuda, a dolphin saved the men's lives during their 16 days at sea.

1896 State Department Lifesaving medal. Julian LS-3. Gold, 35 mm. Choice About Uncirculated. 38.50 grams, .900 fine gold. Original suspender bar present and well preserved. Ribbon also present, perhaps a replacement. Richly reflective yellow gold with superb eye appeal. As always, these medals, which were awarded to seamen, not numismatists, show some handling. Most are polished; this was not. Light hairlines are present in the deep mirrors of the obverse fields, short scratch before Liberty's nose, other lighter scratches present. The reverse was more protected while worn, thus it shows no significant marks and only the light hairlines from the same wiping as the obverse. This is finer than all but a small percentage of the survivors of these medals.

Designed by George Morgan and first issued in 1880, the State Department medal has always been associated with the Coiled Hair Stella, whose visage of Liberty is very similar. Julian details the efforts of John Hay, as assistant secretary of state, to have these medals struck. Earlier in life, Hay had been Lincoln's personal secretary.

The tale of the awarding of this medal is a fascinating one. The schooner Seventy-Six was built in Thomaston, Maine in 1864, a 98-foot long craft crewed by just seven men. In September 1896 she left Fernandina, Florida bound for Berbice, today a part of Guyana, loaded with lumber. She hit an immense hurricane -- it would become the most expensive to ever hit Florida and caused 114 deaths up and down the East Coast after making landfall at Cedar Key on Florida's Gulf Coast. Leaks sprang; masts went down; provisions were ruined. They caught a dolphin and survived on it for nine days until they caught another. It ended up being a sixteen-day affair, before being rescued. The New York Times of November 7, 1896 reports they were rescued by a Dutch vessel, who left the men at Liverpool. Apparently, they were assisted by the men of the British steamship S.S. Holywell, who are cited on this medal for "heroic services in effecting the rescue of the men and crew of the American schooner SEVENTY-SIX." The Journal of the British Board of Trade indicates that four men from the Holywell were awarded gold medals, including William Allison; this is his medal. The President also awarded a gold watch and chain to the captain and a "binocular glass" to the first mate. The story made the front page of the New York Sun on November 7, 1896, the same day the news hit the New York Times.

Not every lifesaving medal's story can be this well discerned, but this was apparently one of the big stories to come from that year's big hurricane. Allison plainly cared a great deal for this medal, and he took better care of it than most recipients did theirs. In the marketplace, specimens of this medal have become scarce, despite the enormous quantity that hit the market during the 2004 Ford sale. They've disappeared into collections, and Stack's has not offered an example of this type since 2005. That piece, also graded Choice AU, brought $3,910. Six years later, this example -- off the market for decades in a private collection -- is now available for a similar price...Sold

Scarce and Highly Detailed 1864 Medal Commemorating Naglee's Gallantry at Fair Oaks

1864 General H.M. Naglee Fair Oaks medal. Bronze, 58 mm. By Louis Merley, struck at the Paris Mint. About Uncirculated. Edge marked CUIVRE with bee (1860-79). Highly glossy dark chocolate brown, reflective on both sides and a bit lighter on the reverse. Some light marks in the fields from non-numismatic handling, rims clean, color and surfaces very attractive on both sides. The obverse shows sculptural relief in its depiction of Naglee pushing his brigade forward at Fair Oaks in 1862. The first specimen of this medal (perhaps in gold? I've never seen it described or published) was presented to Naglee from his friends on October 26, 1864; it appears that a small number of copper medals were struck at the same time for distribution to associates. Ford had one, and they turn up at auction now and again, but this is not a common medal. It is unusual for being a medal that not only commemorates the Civil War, but was struck and distributed during it...Sold

(ca. 1880) North Georgia Stock and Fair Association medal. Silver, 50 mm. Choice Extremely Fine. Unsigned, but engraved by an accomplished hand. Unawarded, as are almost all known. Lovely old toning of deep gray shows pastel blue at the obverse rims, more lustrous reverse likewise shows bright highlights around light silver centers. A little reverse rim nick is seen below 3:00, only other minor evidence of handling. Livestock and a railroad are seen in remarkable detail in the obverse background, along with towering mountains most reminiscent of Colorado than north Georgia. An attractive American agricultural medal...Sold

1770 Death of George Whitefield medal. Betts-526var. Bronze, 32 mm. Choice About Uncirculated. Glossy and beautiful, with dark chocolate toning on the obverse and traces of mint color around some areas of the reverse. Sharp and choice for the grade. An underappreciated part of the Betts series, the several medals that mark the death of George Whitefield were included to recognize Whitefield's revolutionary impact on early American religious life. He was the greatest celebrity of his era, Billy Grahm with the fame of John Lennon, the greatest box office draw of the 18th century. Ben Franklin once reported that, "in the course...[of a Whitefield sermon] I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me, I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me asham'd of that, and determin'd me to give the silver; and he finish'd so admirably, that I empty'd my pocket wholly into the collector's dish, gold and all." They were lifelong friends, despite their seeming dissimilarities, and one would imagine Franklin may well have owned one of the medallic memorials to this great orator...Sold

1814 Brigadier General James Miller at Chippewa, Niagara, and Erie medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian MI-17. Mint State. Deep mahogany bronzed patina on both sides. One of Moritz Furst's best efforts among the War of 1812 series, with a fine depiction of Miller's charge at Niagara (also known as Lundy's Lane) on the reverse that recalls Dupre's best work in the Comitia Americana series. Miller's response to the order to charge the British batteries -- "I'll try" -- is seen at the truncation of his bust on the obverse. A little spot is present at his lips, a bit of toning in the lower right obverse field, nick on the rim at 9:00 on the obverse, very light bruises at 5:00 on obverse and 6:00 on reverse. The rousing reverse is based on a design by Thomas Sully, commissioned especially for the production of this medal. A very pleasing example of this important military medal, struck from the original dies...Sold

1790 Marquis de Lafayette medal by Duvivier. Bronze, 42 mm. Fuld LA.1790.4. About Uncirculated. Strong lustrous reflectivity remains on mottled tan surfaces tinged with a hint of blue. Somewhat handled, scattered minor marks and one tiny rim nick, still very sharp and pleasing. A dark spot is present on the reverse above TS of ETATS. This medal, struck by one of the main artists of the Comitia Americana series, is said to have been produced to offer to the executioner in lieu of the actual head of Lafayette. It proclaims Lafayette as the "avenger of liberty in two worlds," an effort to remind the populace of Lafayette's contributions despite his cozy relationship with the royal family. With its mention of Lafayette's service in the American Army and its origin from the graver of the man who produced the Washington Before Boston, Gates at Saratoga, and two of the Cowpens medals, this makes a natural complement to a Betts collection. This example is an early strike with a plain, concave edge, struck about 1790. It still befuddles me that this medal, admittedly not all that rare, isn't worth more...Sold

Pair of Northern Ohio Fair Association medals. Silver and copper, 41 mm. Unsigned. The bronze piece is named to G. Rau and Co. for "Upholstering Work." Though undated, the fair lasted only from 1870 to 1880. The surfaces are attractive light brown with only minor handling. The silver piece is named to Rau and Cook, Cleveland for "Best Upholstery Work" and dated 1872. It has been banged up a bit, with two fairly heavy rim bruises and mottled dark silver toning. The design is charming, with a horse-drawn trolley at the fair's entrance (part of a discount shuttle service co-sponsored with the Cleveland-area railroads), a horse and cart, a steamship and two sailing vessels on Lake Erie, etc. Issued examples of these medals are fairly scarce. These two were clearly awarded to the same person and have remained together all these years. The two can remain together for...Sold

Prooflike 1812 Isaac Hull USS Constitution medal by Reich

1812 Isaac Hull / USS Constitution medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian NA-12. Choice Mint State. Reflective amber and golden brown, only very lightly bronzed and showing surfaces very much like those found on a proof large cent. Light blue and gold toning intermingles with some ancient fingerprinting, again not unlike a proof large cent. Some minor handling, no bad marks, a single nick in the upper right obverse field and a thin vertical scratch in the left obverse field noted. The reverse shows a substantial cud above 9:00. Struck from John Reich's original dies; Reich signed the obverse under the bust truncation. While most of the Hulls I've handled were heavily bronzed to the typical flat glossy patina, highly reflective ones like this are rather unusual.
If you've ever walked Boston's Freedom Trail, you've been on one of the boats depicted on the reverse of this medal. Currently the world's oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitution was captained by Hull when she rain against the HMS Guerriere. It was during this action on August 19, 1812, off the coast of Nova Scotia, that the ship earned her nickname of Old Ironsides. The battle took just over a half hour, which inspired the reverse legend HORAE MOMENTO VICTORIA or "Victory in the space of an hour." Congress voted Hull this medal in January 1813. His gold specimen still survives, on display at the U.S.S. Constitution museum in Boston. You can't buy that one. You're welcome to this one for...Sold

Historic 1790 Washington Manly Medal, Struck in Philadelphia

(1790) Manly medal. Bronze, 49 mm. Baker-61B. Choice Extremely Fine. Nice even light brown, just a bit darker around design elements. Some light nicks here and there, minor old spot under Washington's queue, usual scattered tiny pits from the casting process used to take the abnormally shaped planchet, with a bump on the obverse to allow for the high relief bust. Double struck, as usual. This example retains Philadelphia merchant Jacques Manly's name at the base of the reverse. The Manly medal was advertised in newspapers from Portsmouth to Savannah and saw extraordinarily wide distribution (this one was purchased in England in recent years). It's my belief that those with Manly's name were actually sold in his Philadelphia store, whereas those with Manly's name scraped off (of about equal rarity) must be those shipped to other urban centers. The Manly medal is a folksy relic of Washington's first year in office, and a centerpiece in any Washingtoniana collection...Sold

Tying A Ribbon Around America: The Battles of Havana and St. John's in 1762

1762 Victories medal. Silver, 41 mm. Betts-441. Choice About Uncirculated. A beautiful example of this scarce medal, particularly elusive in its more regal silver format. This example shows lovely multicolor pastel toning over reflective surfaces. Similar quality to the two Ford examples (which represent 50% of the auction offerings in the last 15 years); those realized $4312.50 each. A gilt bronze example with a hole just brought $862.50 in the January 2011 Stack's Americana sale. This one shows bold evidence of the two strikes necessary to bring up the remarkable relief, best seen in the reverse legends. The reverse, in an echo of issues from 1758 and 1759, celebrates the victories of the year, notably including the invasion and defeat of Havana, an effort including thousands of American colonial troops. A smaller action in Newfoundland is notable as the last battle of the Seven Years War in North America. Just as the victories of 1758 and 1759 are more famous, the medals struck to commemorate them apparently sold better than the 1762 version, when the war was all but over - PAX AUSPICATA means "Peace Foretold."

Today, the population of silver pieces is probably on the order of 10-20...Sold

The Majestic Louisbourg Taken Medal by Pingo, Betts-410

1758 Louisbourg Taken medal. Betts-410. Silver, 44 mm. About Uncirculated. Cleaned long ago and lacquered. Some of the lacquer remains, harmlessly, in the fields, but the prooflike reflectivity of the obverse is preserved despite some light hairlines. The presence of the lacquer has kept all but the extreme peripheries from toning, but it has also protected the nicely lustrous fields and the particularly fresh areas in the intricacies of the obverse design. Fortunately, this piece was never polished or harshly abraded. The reverse, as sometimes seen, is slightly double struck, a testimony to the multiple impressions required to bring up the impressively detailed relief. Perhaps the most artful design to come from the French and Indian War, this medal is sometimes seen looped and worn, indicating its adoption (and possibly issuance) as a military decoration. The obverse shows the joint forces of the British military, the army as grenadier on the left and the navy as "Jack Tar" on the right, united by a banner reading PARITER IN BELLA or "together in battle." The gesture to a globe labeled CANADA and AMERICA with a recognizable coastline and interior waterways. Beneath the globe lays a maiden, representing an undignified France, who has lost her clothing and the fleur-de-lis she grasped, now cast onto the ground inside the rim at 6:00. Thomas Pingo signed the medal nearby. The reverse shows an accurate depiction of Louisbourg harbor (even today), with an artillery installation in the foreground, the town at right, and the burning Bienfasant and the captured Prudent, the last two French ships that remained in the harbor. This medal is rare in silver and occasionally seen in gold. It appears that the gold medals were presented to officers of general and admiral level ranks, as several survive with such provenance, so silver was perhaps awarded (or offered) to the officers of the battle. The victory at Louisbourg was the turning point of the war for North America, allowing British forces access to the Canadian interior and assuaging the hurt psyche of New Englanders, who had captured the fortress in 1745 and seen it given back to France three years later...Sold

1857 Metropolitan Mechanics Institute medal. Julian AM-44, Baker-342. Bronze, 38 mm. About Uncirculated. Offered with the bottom half of the original box, with sticker on bottom from "S. Lewis, Jeweler, Penn. Ave. Bet. 12th and 13th Sts, Washington, DC." Nice chocolate brown with good gloss and lustre on the obverse, lightly cleaned long ago on the reverse. A little spot is present in front of Washington's eye. Awarded to J.L. Eastman of Boston for "Steam Guages" (sic), Eastman's steam gauge, "a good and useful instrument much used on our western waters," also won a silver medal at the 1860 Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic's Association fair. The Metropolitan Mechanics Institute hosted a similar competition in Washington DC. Baker lists this medal as Rarity-6. Its high relief rendition of Washington stands out among his medallic portraits...Sold

Rare U.S. Mint Strike of the William Washington at Cowpens Medal
The Gunmetal Dies, ca. 1863

(1781) William Washington at Cowpens medal. Betts-594, Julian MI-8. Bronze, 46 mm. Choice Mint State. Struck from Philadelphia Mint "gunmetal" transfer dies, ca. 1863. Beautiful medium brown with golden iridescence and lively gloss. The unique texture of these gunmetal die strikes is showcased in problem-free and very attractive fashion. In 1863, amidst growing interest in early numismatic Americana, the US Mint requested the Paris Mint send the original dies for four Comitia Americana medals: John Paul Jones, Washington Before Boston, William Washington, and John Eager Howard. Paris declined (the medals they continued to strike were selling briskly and were undoubtedly a cash cow), but they did send the Philadelphia Mint a small number of strikes from the original dies. James Pollock tasked James Longacre with making transfer dies in soft gunmetal, a bronze alloy, from one of those strikes. The dies created pieces that looked like this, with unusually texture fields (something like a 1926 Sesquicentennial quarter eagle) and slightly softer details. All of the dies ended up with enormous cuds; they were not made to last and made a fairly small number of strikes before being retired in the early 1880s. The Gunmetal strikings of quite rare and underappreciated; they are far rarer than the Paris Mint strikes of 1845-60 or 1860-79. This one is as nice as they come...Sold

The American Flag Debuts On A Medal, 1782 Betts-606

1782 Dutch-American Treaty of Commerce medal. Betts-606. Silver, 32 mm. About Uncirculated. Bright lustrous silver gray, a more sedate golden shade on the reverse, with fine reflectivity. Some hairlines are present, some light ticks, nothing serious. This medal fits into the same historical moment as Betts-604 and 605, but it's far scarcer than those two. It also represents the single earliest appearance of an American flag on a medal, represented in swallowtail pennant form at the left side of the obverse. Once upon a time, when I wrote the LaRiviere catalogue, I thought I was the first guy to figure that out...then years later I found a 1918 publication of the Holland Society of New York which had figured out the same thing 90 years earlier. That primacy among medals with American flags on them (there are a ton of them) makes this an especially desirable Betts number for collectors. They don't turn up on the market often. In 2008, a specimen that was only a little nicer than this one brought $6,325 in a Stack's sale. This one is...Sold

Scarce Tiffany and Co. 1905 St. Nicholas Society Medal, Depicting Peter Stuyvesant

1905 St. Nicholas Society of the City of New York medal by Tiffany and Co. Bronze, 49 mm. Mint State. Even antiqued medium brown patina, nicely preserved in the century since its production. An interesting medal, commissioned to mark the 350th anniversary of Peter Stuyvesant's establishment of the municipal government of the city of New York in 1655. The pegleg pioneer is depicting standing on the obverse in fine style and high relief. The Tiffany imprint is stamped on the edge at 6:00. Founded as a Dutch heritage society in 1835 by Washington Irving and other New Yorkers, the St Nicholas Society survives today...Sold

Important Original John Paul Jones Comitia Americana Medal

1779 John Paul Jones Comitia Americana medal. Betts-568, Julian NA-1. Bronze, 57 mm. About Uncirculated. 1262.4 grains. From the Stack's Chicago ANA sale, where I described it as "a fine original striking of the most visually appealing of American naval medals, featuring Houdon's famous bust of Jones on the obverse and a battle scene on the reverse whose design was personally supervised by Jones himself. The surfaces are glossy and pleasing, toned a melange of golden medium brown and deeper mahogany. Some minor plaque clings to the obverse behind Jones's epaulet and a few places elsewhere. Little batch of nicks noted on reverse under ATI of FVGATIS, other minor marks present but insignificant. The die state on this is quite early. The Paris Mint started marking the edges of Jones medals about 1842. Any striking from these dies is avidly sought, though plain edge ones (the originals) are most of all. Many of the original strikings were poorly handled, sometimes even mounted, so a piece like this finds much to recommend it." Originals of this quality trade about one a year or so, and they never stay on the market long...Sold

Set of 1861 US Mint Oath of Allegiance Medals in Silver and Bronze

1861 US Mint Oath of Allegiance medals. Pair, bronze and silver. 30 mm. Julian CM-2, Baker-279. Both Choice Mint State. One of the most interesting of the Washington portrait pieces struck at the US Mint, coined to mark the day in September 1861 when all employees of the Philadelphia Mint swore allegiance to the Federal Union, just five weeks after the First Battle of Bull Run. The silver piece is deeply reflective on both sides, with dusky golden toning over the brilliant silver surfaces. Some light striations in the lower right obverse field were on the planchet before striking, only very minor hairlines are seen intermingled with the old, attractive toning. The bronze piece is a rich bronzed mahogany with no spots or flaws, excellent overall quality. Just 259 were struck in silver. In striking this medal, Mint Director James Pollock was able to palliate the suspicions that Rebels had infiltrated the mother mint and produce a piece that would readily sell to the avid collecting base for new Washington medalets. Two fine examples of this fascinating medal...Sold

Majestic George Meade Medal by Anthony C. Paquet

1866 General George Meade medal. Bronze, 80 mm. Julian PE-20. Choice Mint State. A choice survivor from a mintage of just 100 pieces, still contained in the blue velvet lined black leatherette case of issue. The bronzing is a rich, dark chocolate shade, save for a thin crescent near the obverse rim that retains some faded mint color. The surfaces show no marks or imperfections, just a bit of old buildup that has protected the surfaces. One of the largest medals in the Mint series, this issue was produced for the Union League of Philadelphia as a gift to Meade in honor of his "distinguished personal gallantry on that ever memorable field, Gettysburg." Those words appeared engraved on the gold specimen of this medal that Meade personally received, which sold in a Pennsylvania auction a decade ago for the bargain price of $11,000. Though included in Julian's "Personal" series, this medal deserves a spot in the MI-themed collections of US Mint medals, as the only US Mint medal struck to commemorate the victory at Gettysburg...Sold

Rare Gilt Bronze 1867 Joseph Mickley Medal

1867 Joseph Mickley / President of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia medal. Gilt bronze, 50 mm. Dies by William H. Key. About Uncirculated. An extremely rare format for this scarce portrait medal; I've never seen a gilt example, nor can I find record of one being offered. Bronze is the usual format, though there are a few silver examples (like the gem in the Damon Collection sold a few years ago). Mickley was the first President of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia; they struck this medal in his honor the same year his cabinet was burglarized and he abruptly consigned most of the rest to W. Eliot Woodward for auction. This example shows complete bright gilding, undoubtedly done at the time of mintage, as the planchet shows some of the typical light granularity left by the process. Some fine hairlines are present, light toning at base of reverse, handsome and attractive overall. If anyone knows of another gilt specimen in existence, I'd love to know about it....Sold

Remarkable Ca. 1900 Photograph of Indian Chief Wearing Four Indian Peace Medals
...Including a Large Size Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace medal.

(ca. 1895-1905) Photograph of an Indian Chief wearing four Indian Peace medals. Image size: 6 1/2 x 8 1/2", framed to 16 1/2 x 18 1/2". I purchased this as a platinum emulsion print, though a photographer friend has since told me it is likely a silver emulsion due to the range of hues and toned, lustrous appearance. The detail in the image is magnificent -- my amateurish attempts to photograph this photograph don't stand up to the original. The Indian, apparently a Sioux, stands a three-quarter view, holding a long peace pipe in one hand and a medicine bag in the other. The detail, contrast, and range of color within a "black and white" palate makes for a great artistic achievement. There are no condition problems, spots, tears, wrinkles, or anything I see wrong with it.

Putting a glass to the image makes plain precisely which medals the chief is wearing. From bottom to top: a large size Thomas Jefferson, a large size James Buchanan, a Ulysses S. Grant, and one of the private Washington portrait fur trade medals which Prucha traces to Pender, Nebraska before 1901. These medals trace this Indian's ancestry like a family tree: the ca. 1803 Jefferson was likely his grandfather's; the 1857 Buchanan, his father's; the 1877 Grant his own as a young man; and Washington fur trade medal is likely brand new in the time of this photograph. Most exciting is the possibility that the Jefferson medal was distributed by Lewis and Clark. The ca. 1900 Pender, Nebraska Washington fur trade medals were distributed along the Missouri, a century earlier, Lewis and Clark spent the night of August 15, 1804 about 25 miles from Pender. There were treaties affecting the northern Nebraska region signed during both the Buchanan and Grant administrations, and the man depicted could be a Pawnee, an Omaha, or a Ponca.

I've never taken this photograph out of its frame, and there may be more identifying information on the photographer or the sitter within. The image itself is one of the most arresting portraits of an Indian wearing his medals I've ever seen. They literally stretch from the beginning of the Indian Peace medal series (Jefferson's were the first with the Peace and Friendship reverse) to the end. The Pender Washington medal was struck 10 years after the cessation of the program but its design type is based on the conventional Peace and Friendship theme pioneered under Jefferson. A century of history -- three generations of a single family -- is told with this portrait, though the man depicted may remain anonymous forever. It is rare to find numismatic-related wall art that is at once this beautiful and this historic...Sold

A Beautifully Original Bryan Dollar

1896 Bryan dollar. Silver, 52 mm. HK-781, Zerbe-6. Choice About Uncirculated. Nicer than so many of the certified Mint State pieces, and the vast majority of surviving examples of this variety overall, with beautiful old toning of slate blue and deep violet with gold around the motifs. Still lustrous and reflective, some minor hairlines and handling, a few little marks on the reverse. Just a very attractive example of this classic and historical type by Gorham...Sold

Rare Ca. 1863 US Mint Striking of Washington Before Boston Medal

1776 Washington Before Boston Medal. Julian MI-1, Baker-49. Bronze, 68 mm. Mint State. 2523.2 grains. Struck from the so-called "gunmetal" transfer copy dies, produced at the US Mint circa 1863. I wrote this piece up for the Stack's 2011 ANA sale as follows: "Deep beautiful mahogany bronzing envelopes glossy, textured surfaces on both sides, with hints of deep blue and some gold at central reverse. The patina is thin on some letters of EXERCITVVM and nearby from a light abrasion, some minor marks in central reverse field. A handsome example of this rare American-made variant, produced after the US Mint used an original striking as a hub to produce transfer dies. This transfer process was used to produce new dies for the John Paul Jones, William Washington, John Eager Howard, and Washington Before Boston medals. For each of these, the only other versions of the medal then available had to be imported from France, where the Paris Mint was still producing pieces using original dies. Only small numbers of the "gunmetal" versions of these medals were made, perhaps because the swirling, matte texture of their surfaces was not as appealing as the reflective Paris Mint strikings of the era, or perhaps because these transfer dies were prone to breakage and had a useful life of only a few hundred strikes. While all other examples of Julian MI-1 before about 1890 were coined in Paris, this type was, in keeping with Julian's theme, actually coined at the U.S. Mint." I went through Julian and came up with a mintage in bronze of just 108 pieces from these dies. They don't turn up all that often, and this one has very nice eye appeal despite a couple minor marks...Sold

Original Comitia Americana medal, Lt. William Washington at Cowpens, South Carolina

1781 William Washington at Cowpens Comitia Americana medal. Betts-594, Julian MI-8. Bronze, 46 mm. Mint State. Plain edge, an original striking. I described this piece in the 2011 Stack's ANA Sale as follows: "Medium brown with faint gold and blue highlights on the lustrous, semi-reflective fields. Some shallow natural planchet roughness is seen in the obverse field and at upper reverse under a glass, minor obverse hairlines, two parallel diagonal pinscratches toned over across central reverse, some minor nicks here or there. Somewhat handled, but none of the problems stands out without magnification. A sharp production of the Paris Mint and a desirable addition to an early American medal collection, definitively coined before 1840 and likely considerably earlier." Historic, rare, and attractive, a very desirable relic of the American Revolution...Sold

Prooflike 1812 Isaac Hull USS Constitution medal by Reich

1812 Isaac Hull / USS Constitution medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian NA-12. Choice Mint State. Reflective amber and golden brown, only very lightly bronzed and showing surfaces very much like those found on a proof large cent. Light blue and gold toning intermingles with some ancient fingerprinting, again not unlike a proof large cent. Some minor handling, no bad marks, a single nick in the upper right obverse field and a thin vertical scratch in the left obverse field noted. The reverse shows a substantial cud above 9:00. Struck from John Reich's original dies; Reich signed the obverse under the bust truncation. While most of the Hulls I've handled were heavily bronzed to the typical flat glossy patina, highly reflective ones like this are rather unusual.
If you've ever walked Boston's Freedom Trail, you've been on one of the boats depicted on the reverse of this medal. Currently the world's oldest commissioned warship, the USS Constitution was captained by Hull when she rain against the HMS Guerriere. It was during this action on August 19, 1812, off the coast of Nova Scotia, that the ship earned her nickname of Old Ironsides. The battle took just over a half hour, which inspired the reverse legend HORAE MOMENTO VICTORIA or "Victory in the space of an hour." Congress voted Hull this medal in January 1813. His gold specimen still survives, on display at the U.S.S. Constitution museum in Boston. You can't buy that one. You're welcome to this one for...Sold

Historic Early 18th Century Indian Trade Medal, Betts-162, Issued in Colonial Pennsylvania

(ca 1726) George I/II Indian Trade medal. Bronze, 41 mm. Betts-162, Quarcoopome III-F. Good. A well-worn and historic witness to Iroquois-English relations in the first half of the 18th century. Typically found in archaeological contexts in New York and Pennsylvania, this type was a private enterprise by famed Pennsylvania Indian trader / Proprietary official / scientist James Logan, once the personal secretary of William Penn and later Mayor of Philaelphia. Ebenezer Nii Quarcoopome's monograph on this type, part of the ANS COAC volume The Medal in America, published in 1988, establishes a connection to Logan, then the Secretary of the Province of Pennsylvania, from a 1726 letter ordering several hundred medals from a manufactory in Birmingham - the sort of place that would produce Admiral Vernon medals a decade later in a similar texture and composition. Unlike later silver Indian Peace medals, which were diplomatic tools, these base metal medals were strictly to lubricate the fur trade: "Indian Goods must goe only to the traders to receive skin," wrote Logan. This medal was clearly worn for a long time by its Native recipient. The loop, once present at 12:00, is gone, as is found on this type more often than not. The reverse is heavily worn, with just the outline of the arrow-wielding Indian and a trace of the deer he targets. The obverse shows the high relief portrait clearly and a portion of the legends, with KING OF GREAT legible atop that side. The minor flaws - traces of roughness, some marks, etc - are light for the grade. Maybe the heavy nick at the central reverse was the result of bouncing atop another looped Indian Peace medal for years; it's the only notable mark.
It seems odd that a piece with so much history, a medal that lived in the woods of Pennsylvania in the decades before the French and Indian War, this relic from the pages of Conrad Richter's A Light in the Forest or Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans costs about the same as a low-end Spanish Trail half dollar...Sold

"Hey there, want to come see my mastodon?"

1821 Philadelphia Museum token. Julian UN-23, Rulau PA-398. Bronze, 32 mm. About Uncirculated. Some luster persists on lively medium brown surfaces, lightly toned with pale blue around devices. Quite flashy, an unusually handsome specimen of this popular early token. There are some minor hairlines, a bit of schmutz around the reverse devices, and a couple of rim nicks, including a significant one over UM of MUSEUM. Excellent eye appeal, far nicer than these usually come...Sold

A more worn example, perhaps VF or better by detail, with slightly granular surfaces and a bit of pitting. It probably totally wrecked some Philadelphia school kid's day when he or she lost this in the ground almost 200 years ago...Sold

A year after these pieces were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, Charles Willson Peale painted a now famous self portrait entitled "The Artist and His Museum", giving us a good idea of just what those who presented these charming tokens were bound to encounter on their visit. The museum, founded in 1786, took up new confines on the second floor of Independence Hall in 1802, where it remained until its closure with Peale's death in 1827. Much of its contents ended up in the possession of PT Barnum. Peale's son Titian designed the reverse of the Gobrecht dollar; fifteen years before Gobrecht engraved the dies for that coin, he engraved the dies for these.Sold

1873 Boston Numismatic Society medal. Dies by G.H. Lovett, issued by Isaac F. Wood. Copper. Gem Mint State. Nearly full mint red remains, reflective and highly attractive. Whomever paid sixty cents for this in 1873 took nice care of it. The American Journal of Numismatics took notice of this medal when struck and described it as follows: "Obverse: Within two circles, a fac-simile of the seal of the Boston Numismatic Society [on which is represented the rare New-England Three-pence, a Pine Tree, the early symbol of Massachusetts, and three hills, representing those on which Boston was built: Fort Hill, Beacon Hill and Copp's Hill, and, Instituted I860.] On the outer circle, " Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, 1873 ;" on the inner, " Boston Numismatic Society. Incorporated 1870." Reverse: Fac-simile of the Seal of the New-England Historic, Genealogical Society,--a Shield on which is a Pine Tree, representing New-England, surrounded by a belt bearing the motto, "In Memoriam Majorum ;" at the sides, "Inc. 1845 ;" above, a hand issuing from the clouds holding a volume of Records; the whole encircled by the name of the society. On the outer edge, "Twin Delvers in the Garden of History;" below, " (Isaac F. Wood's Memorial Series)." These were struck in silver, brass, and copper, and few of the survivors look as nice as this one...Sold

Foundational and Very Rare 1772 Resolution and Adventure Medal
Captain Cook's Gift to the Natives of the Pacific

1772 Resolution and Adventure medal. Betts-552. Brass (called platina), 42.5 mm. Original integral mount at 12:00. Choice Extremely Fine. A choice example of this famous and important exploration medal, an issue that may be considered the foundational Western artifact in Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia. Two thousand pieces in this composition were struck to the order of Sir Joseph Banks, the lead scientist on Captain James Cook's expeditions, to distribute to natives the ships Resolution and Adventure encountered as they explored the Pacific. At least one was distributed in North America, during Cook's stop in Nootka Sound, on the coast of Vancouver Island, in March 1778. These medals were used in essentially the same way Indian Peace medals were, often accompanied by ceremony, trade, and recognitions of authority. This brassy composition, called "platina" in the original documents, was the only one used for distribution to natives, though silver, copper, and two gold examples were also struck. No artifact better defines the point of native-Western contact in Oceania. The concept of the Resolution and Adventure medal -- and the design, incorporating the two ships -- inspired the 1787 Washington and Columbia medal, which was also distributed in the Pacific Northwest. Not coincidentally, explorer John Ledyard of Connecticut was a part of both expeditions. Today, specimens in this condition are very rare. Those that have been found in the ground (most of them) rarely fared well (such as this one in a New Zealand historical society). This one shows a shallow area of corrosion around the word FRANCE on the obverse and a speck inside the bottom reverse rim. The wear is light and the surfaces are free of disturbances. This piece was acquired by John Ford from Fred Baldwin in 1967. When Ford's collection of these was sold, including four in this distribution composition, it represented a healthy portion of the auction appearances of this medal over the past two decades. Thoroughly American (these medals were present when Cook became the first Westerner in Hawaii) but in demand all over the Pacific Rim, these medals perhaps surpass traditional American Indian Peace medals in their historical importance. This example is nice enough to be a point of pride in a superb cabinet...Sold

Fire Gilt 1799 Westwood Medal, One of Three Seen

1799 Westwood medal. Baker-80. Gilt bronze, 41 mm. About Uncirculated. A very rare entry in among the 18th century medals issued to mark George Washington, just the second gilt example known to me. Struck in England in the months after Washington's death in December 1799, Baker numbers 79 through 83 all emanate from the shop of Obediah Westwood, the dies apparently cut by his son John (born 1774). Baker-81, which uses a different reverse die, is also known in gilt bronze; the only one seen is the beautiful Norweb (2006) example, which brought over $3,500. The only other gilt Baker-80s I know of are the Ford piece, called "very rare and underrated as such, this being the first the cataloguer has seen," and a piece sold in London in a June 2010 Spink sale. The gilding on this specimen is almost complete, worn on the obverse highpoints and just barely mellowed in some areas of the fields. The lustre and flash is nearly intact. Some minor hairlines are seen, a couple minor rim bruises, very attractive and visually striking overall. This would be a very difficult item to replace...Sold

High Grade 1776 Pocket Calendar Medal

1776 calendar medal by Winckelman, Brussels. Pinchbeck metal, 40 mm. Choice About Uncirculated. Toned dark olive brass with lustrous golden undertones and hints of pastel blue. About as nice as an 18th century calendar medal gets, as these things were usually used and carried for the duration of the year, with grades typically ending up in the Fine to Very Fine range. This one is French language and struck in Brussels for an audience in the Low Countries, but its "magical date" of 1776 makes it the most in-demand of 18th century pocket calendars. This is the nicest quality 1776-dated calendar I've ever seen or handled...Sold

Victory and Defeat in a Single Day: USS Wasp vs. HMS Frolic, 1812

1812 Jacob Jones / USS Wasp medal. Julian NA-13. Bronze, 65 mm. Choice About Uncirculated. Rich mahogany bronzing with no spotting, a nice even example. Some minor marks are seen, including an old dig on Jones' head and a few others on the obverse. Good eye appeal, excellent detail on both sides. A scarcer entry in the War of 1812 naval series, marking the October 1812 battle between Jones' USS Wasp and the British sloop HMS Frolic, which was accompanying a merchant fleet departing from Honduras. The ships encountered each other in the middle of the Atlantic, and Wasp won handily in just a half hour. The celebration was short-lived, as another British vessel came by just a few hours later and captured Jones and his crew; they were later released, though the Wasp was captured. And you thought you went through major mood swings in a single day. This medal is struck from Moritz Furst's original dies, one of just 150 struck according to the late Carl Carlson...Sold

A Gold Medal Awarded a New Hampshire Sweat Shop: Fine Fabrics Made by Child Labor

1881 Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association medal. Gold, 38 mm. Julian AM-33. 28.33 grams. Choice Mint State. Dies by Christian Gobrecht, ca. 1837. Struck at the U.S. Mint. Reverse inscribed to Amory Manufacturing Co for Factory Fabrics, 1881. Superb condition, fully reflective rich yellow gold, just some very minor hairlines that are nearly unavoidable on medals such as this. The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association was founded in 1795 and awarded medals for all manner of technical achievements at their annual fair in Boston. Amory Manufacturing was a Manchester, New Hampshire cotton mill, one of the many lining the Merrimack River in the late 19th century. If you or someone you know has attended law school, you've probably heard of it - Buch vs. Amory Manufacturing Company (1897) is a classic tort case, which found that the mill had no legal responsible towards an eight year old whose hand was crushed in their machinery while he was learning how to use the equipment from his 13 year old brother, since he was technically a trespasser. If you're a law nerd, look about halfway down this page and read all the details.
While this is a fairly common medal in the galaxy of 19th century U.S. Mint medals in gold, this specimen is in superior condition to most. Some medals have more interesting stories than others, but this is pretty sexy for a fabric medal - there aren't too many numismatic monuments to child labor, but here's one. It is a beautiful one, and less dear than most that have sold recently at auction...Sold

Rare and Attractive Gilt 1878 Wyoming Massacre Medal

1878 Wyoming Massacre Centennial medal. Gilt copper, 36 mm. HK-120. Choice Mint State. Dies by George T. Morgan of the U.S. Mint. One of 152 struck in this finish, along with 324 in bronzed copper, 1014 in white metal, 200 in silver and 7 in gold. Remarkably lustrous and vibrant bright gilding remains intact, with no breaks on either side or the edge. The reverse field is a little reflective, though it shows some innocent hairlines. A single tiny spot is noted beneath BATTLE atop the obverse. A vivid scene of the Indian raid is depicted on the obverse, with four braves wielding a flintlock, spears, and a raised tomahawk against the two Anglo-American men on the ground. A house burns in the background. One must assume this was a more artistically satisfying composition for Morgan than his famed silver dollar of the same year, and perhaps even moreso than the elegantly simple pattern half dollars he produced in 1877. The reverse depicts the 1833 obelisk that marks the grave of those massacred, along with the lines DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI, the line from Horace made famous by the World War I poem by Wilfred Owen. The battle took place outside of the Forty Fort, at the town of the same name in northeastern Pennsylvania, the childhood home of a noted numismatist who name rhymes with Save Towers. This is one of the more colorful and graphically interesting so-called dollars, a nice prize to add to a collection in this attractive and rare gilt finish...Sold

A Beautiful Example of Daniel Eccleston's 1805 Washington Medal

1805 Eccleston medal. Bronze, 76 mm. Baker-85. Choice Mint State. A classic early Washington medal, one that was present in the collections of Jefferson, Madison, and others. Eccleston, a English Quaker with radical political ideas "many eccentricities," according to Baker, engaged Thomas Webb to produce the dies for this hefty medal. He later bragged that it was the largest medal produced of Washington and of the highest relief of any medal struck in England to that time. The relief is truly impressive, as is the innovative way that the planchets were produced. They were finely cast in a form that allowed the portrait to be fully realized: basically a normal planchet with a big bump in the middle of one side. The only downside of the process is a hallmark of anything struck on a cast planchet, occasional traces of fine pitting here and there. This piece shows very little of this phenomenon. The obverse is nicely reflective, toned a rich mixture of chocolate browns with light golden highlights in the field and traces of violet and blue. The reverse preserves perhaps half of its original red around the letters, far more than normally seen on even high grade specimens. A little mark is present off Washington's forehead, some other light haymarks in the fields, a well-preserved and beautiful example overall. The medal that Eccleston sent to Jefferson is still present at Monticello. After spending two to three years in America, including a few days with Washington at Mount Vernon, undoubtedly many more specimens made their way to these shores. Few survive in this fine condition...Sold

A Superb Gem Thomas Macdonough Medal in a Tiffany Presentation Box
Just 34 Pieces Struck

1814 (i.e. 1884) Thomas Macdonough / Battle of Lake Champlain medal. Bronze, 65 mm. Julian NA-15. Superb Gem Mint State. Housed in original black leather Tiffany box, borders gilt and stamped in blind on interior and exterior, gilt stamped TIFFANY & CO / NEW YORK / PARIS / LONDON inside front cover, hinged green velvet frame custom-made for medal is in working order, box a bit crumbled at edges, clasp is functional. This medal is perhaps the nicest of its kind, an absolutely remarkable mark-free gem that I would probably grade MS-67 if I was held down and forced to give a medal a numerical grade. The light brown surfaces are gracefully toned gold and rose over the reflective fields. Some cameo effect is apparent. Free of marks, well protected from its years inside this velvet box. I purchased this medal from the descendants of an official of the Battle of Plattsburgh centennial celebration in 1914, along with a lovely original dies Alexander Macomb medal in a similar Tiffany box that I will offer soon that I just sold. This medal is struck from the original Furst obverse and the Mint copy reverse by Charles Barber, which Carlson found were active from only 1884 to 1904, after the retirement of the original reverse. Carlson's research noted a total mintage from these dies of 34 pieces. The tie to Tiffany is unclear - either they simply custom made the boxes, or they acquired the medals for the Battle of Plattsburgh celebration. As this medal was discovered with other items from that centennial celebration, the descendents assumed it was presented as part of his duties there. They took spectacular care of it, and I very much doubt a better one exists. The only one Stack's has had from these dies in the last half dozen years (since Ford) was a scruffy EF...Sold

"A Monument Worthy The Memory of Washington" - Dolley Madison

1848 Washington Monument Cornerstone Laying medal. White metal, 40 mm. Baker-320. Choice Uncirculated. Called Rarity-7 in the latest Rulau edition of Baker. This example was once owned by Virgil Brand, sold in Bowers and Merena's sale of June 1990 as lot 5009. Though this medal is unsigned, there is evidence that the Baltimore metalsmith Jacob Seeger either struck it, engraved it, or both. I've never published this anywhere, but in the publication entitled Oration Pronounced By The Honorable Robert C. Winthrop, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, on the Fourth of July, 1848, on the Occasion of Laying the Corner-Stone of the National Monument to the Memory of Washington With An Introduction and an Appendix (quite a mouthful) there is a list of the various items deposited in the cornerstone of the Washington Monument. Plenty of numismatic items - what sounds like an 1848 Proof Set in silver and gold, handfuls of new cents, some Continental Currency, and some other items - are included, but most important here is the line item for "Silver Medal representing General Washington and the National Monument, by Jacob Seegar." The Rulau book notes "The designer of this medal is not known." Well, pencil Jacob Seegar into your copy. He's known numismatically primarily for his 1851 storecard, Miller Md 148, with a lovely radiate Liberty Cap on the obverse and a business motto promoting him as a "silver plater and manufacturer of fancy ornaments." His biography therein notes that he supplied metal ornaments for the Mexican War in 1848. Striking a medal is certainly within his skill set.

This specimen is holed, as are all that I've ever seen, undoubtedly for wearing on a ribbon to the actual cornerstone laying. The surfaces are fully lustrous, with only light handling and a whisper of reverse toning. Most of the survivors seem to have held up fairly well, but this remains a very scarce medal...Sold

Extremely Rare Betts-604 Dutch-American Treaty of Commerce Medal in Silver Shells

1782 Dutch-American Treaty of Commerce medal. Silver Shells, 45 mm. Betts-604. Choice About Uncirculated. Beautifully engraved by J.G. Holtzhey, the Amsterdam medalist formerly in charge of the Utrecht Mint. Superb light hazy toning in light gray and multicolored pastels over reflective fields. Some light hairlines are visible under the toning, themselves nearly as old as the medal. Areas around the periphery show some tooling marks where this medal was, literally, handcrafted; its two individual shells were carefully joined to a silver rim. The shells, just thin sheets of silver, were struck just once; the relief of this medal in its usual solid form required two strikes, which are visible on many specimens. This is the only example of this medal I've ever seen struck as silver shells. Other medals of this era are struck the same way: the ca. 1782 Johann Van Der Capellen tot den Pol medal (ex LaRiviere and Ford) was struck the same year in the same city as shells, its only known form. Silver shells is also the only form the Philadelphia Mint used to produce 1801 Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace medals and 1804 Preble medals in silver. One wonders if they encountered the technology through a medal just like this one - especially since John Adams himself recommended that Holtzhey ship some to sell in Philadelphia. "I think you would find a sale for many of them at Boston and Philadelphia," Adams wrote to Holtzhey on November 2, 1782, regarding Betts-603, "When I return to Holland, I shall be glad to purchase a few of them to give to my friends."

Specimens of this medal in its typical solid silver format have sold for as much as $5000 at auction. Ford's brought closer to $2000 back in 2006 (yes, it's been five years since Ford 14). Neither Ford nor LaRiviere had this type in silver shells...Sold

(Circa 1824) General La Fayette medalet. Silver, 17 x 13 mm. Fuld LA.M.12. Extremely Fine. Dark grey toning in the fields, lighter silver highlights on the gently worn high points. Some minor surface plaque is present, visible under a glass. A few old light scratches are present on the reverse, probably where this rubbed against other jewelry while being worn. While not produced from precisely the same head punch as the diminutive medalets and related countermarks dated 1824, the lettering appears identical, the texture is the same, and the sizes are very similar. While the round Washington / Lafayette medalets of this sort turn up on occasion, most specimens bring four figures. This oval medalet of the era is far scarcer. Lafayette material is badly underrated compared to medals of Washington, Franklin, and other Revolutionary figures. Most, like this, dated from his triumphant return visit to the United States...Sold

Very Nice 1815 Andrew Jackson Battle of New Orleans Medal

1815 Andrew Jackson at New Orleans medal. Julian MI-15. Bronze, 66 mm. Mint State. Even medium mahogany with reflective surfaces still apparent under some old surface dirt in the fields. Great detail, no marks to note or cabinet friction. A few tiny rim cuds are seen inside the outside rim on the reverse, but the light reflectivity suggests a relatively early strike, as these become fairly dully finished later. One of the nicer examples of this medal - the first ever struck to honor Andrew Jackson - I've seen...Sold

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