ARGENTINA

ARGENTINA. Allied Army Against Paraguay Silver Medal of Courage, ND (ca. 1870). PCGS AU-55 Gold Shield.

Barac-105. Obverse: Radiant sunface; Reverse: Argentine arms. A lightly handled example of this award medal that features an evocative sunface design and deep charcoal-gray tone throughout. The War of the Triple Alliance (also known as the Paraguayan War) was fought between Paraguay and the alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay between 1864 and 1870. Beginning as a conflict between Brazil and Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay would soon join their Brazilian ally in arms. However, Paraguay still had a significant man-power advantage, with some estimates suggesting Paraguay had 60,000 trained soldiers at the war's inception. Despite this, the military strategy of the alliance won out, resulting in total defeat of Paraguay and the loss of land to the victors. The conflict still stands as the bloodiest inter-state conflict in Latin American history.

From the Matthew Orsini Collection.

Estimate: $200.00- $400.00