(1766) (i.e. 1863) William Pitt Medal. Betts-516, Dies 2-B (Kraljevich 2). Brass. MS-63 (PCGS).

40.4 mm. 566.9 grains. 3.4-3.8 mm thick. An impressive and rare piece, the only one your cataloger has ever seen in this composition, a body of medals that includes all those owned by Ford, Adams, and Craige and pretty much all other collections sold in the last 20 years. Though this bears the T. PINGO F. signature under the bust, its marriage to the same reverse die that was used to strike Groh's overstruck silver specimen is enough to confirm that this medal, and all struck from this obverse die, were coined in New York in 1863. Though this and the Groh medal share an obverse, they actually represent entirely different Betts numbers, as Betts distinguishes between Pitt medals with a signature on the obverse and those without. This example was struck from an apparently early die state, with a very crude T PINGO F. signature hand-engraved into the die at the truncation of Pitt's shoulder, notable repunching on MV of GVLIELMVS, and significant spalling on the base of the bust. The Groh medal, from the altered later die state, lacks the signature and shows thinner letterforms that suggest the entire obverse die was significantly lapped or polished. The quality of this piece is lovely, with full lustrous and bright brassy gold surfaces, barely dimmed by some trivial obverse spotting. A beautiful and important piece, struck on a thick planchet rather like the bronze ones struck from this die marriage.

From the E Pluribus Unum Collection. Earlier from our (ANR's) sale of the Lake Michigan and Springdale Collections, June 2006, lot 743.