(1766) William Pitt Medal. Betts-516, Dies 1-A (Kraljevich 1). Copper. SP-63 BN (PCGS).

40.1 mm. 361.0 grains. 2.3-2.4 mm thick. Lustrous chocolate brown with abundant highlights of original mint color around design elements and peripheries. Sharp and pleasing, with only a few little specks at Pitt's eye and a couple of short scratches beneath TT of PITT to note. Two varieties of this Pitt type were struck in 1766: this one, described as Dies 1-A in the January/February 2016 issue of the MCA Advisory, and Betts-517, described as Dies 4-D or Kraljevich-5 in the same paper. Betts defined his 515 as lacking Thomas Pingo's signature under the bust and 516 as having T. PINGO F. at the truncation - but this obscures the fact that two copy obverses were made ca. 1863, one of which lacked the signature (Betts-515) and one of which had it (Kraljevich Obverse 2). The variety offered here is unquestionably of 18th century vintage.

From the E Pluribus Unum Collection. Earlier from our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XIV, May 2006, lot 381.