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

The November 2012 Baltimore Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

3001

等级

MS64BN

价格

140,020

详细说明

Famous "1781" (1782) Libertas Americana Medal in Bronze "1781" (1782) Libertas Americana Medal. Betts-615. Copper. MS-64 BN (PCGS). CAC. Landing in the number one spot of The 100 Greatest American Medals and Tokens, the Libertas Americana medal has always been an object of intense desire. The offered piece is especially attractive. Obv: Flowing Hair head of Liberty with pole and cap, by Dupre, to left on obverse, LIBERTAS AMERICANA curves above, date 4 JUIL. 1776 in exergue below. Rev: Athena (France) as benefactor shields infant Hercules (America) with snakes in his grasp from British Lion with tail between its legs signifying defeat, dual dates of 17 OCT. 1777 and 19 OCT. 1781 below, the dates of America's first significant victory in the War for Independence at Saratoga, New York, and of the total surrender of British forces at Yorktown, Virginia. Deep chestnut-brown with exceptional eye appeal, the only marks of note a few tiny toning blemishes in the obverse field. An original in copper with the die cud front and center beneath the 4 in the obverse date. We give a reprise of the history of this medal from a past sale: "Struck in Paris to commemorate peace following the American victory over Great Britain in the Revolutionary War, the Libertas Americana is the most beautiful and important of the peace medals. The concept and mottos displayed by this medal are attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who at the time was serving as U.S. commissioner to France. While in France, Franklin set about the production of a medal to give to a select few he deemed instrumental in securing American independence. The Libertas Americana medal was to be symbolic of the winning of American liberty, not only on the battlefields of the New World but also in the courts of Europe, most particularly that of France. For without French support American victory over Great Britain would not have been possible. And since it was Franklin who secured the support of the king and queen of France, he was as indispensable to the political victory of the American Colonies as George Washington was to their military victory. The dies for the Libertas Americana medal were cut in Paris in 1782 by Augustin Dupre. The obverse portrait would later influence the first renditions of Liberty to appear on United States coinage, specifically those of the Liberty Cap copper coinage and the Flowing Hair silver coinage. The reverse design is highly symbolic, the two serpents representing the American victory over the British at the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown, but Minerva keeping the British lion at bay confirming that ultimate American independence would not have been possible without French aid. The dates in exergue on the reverse are the dates of the victories over General John Burgoyne at Saratoga and General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown. All original Libertas Americana medals are scarce-to-rare pieces (Paris Mint restrikes of later years have minimal value) with most examples encountered in today's market being copper impressions, of which approximately 100-125 medals are known. Far rarer are the silver strikings that Franklin himself presented to French ministers, "as a monumental acknowledgement, which may go down to future ages, of the obligations [the United States is] under to [the French] nation." We believe that only 25-30 original Libertas Americana Medals in silver are extant. (Two gold strikings that Franklin presented to King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France are not traced.) Numismatic Reflections by Q. David Bowers It is always a pleasure to offer a nice example of this famous early American medal. There are enough copper strikings around that opportunities occur at regular intervals, but there are so many people desiring to own this classic that bidding is always intense. The present coin specimen stands high in quality among others in the field. PCGS# 151815.