"1776" (post-1807) Washington/Franklin American Beaver Medal. Betts-549, Julian CM-4, Musante GW-93, Baker-54A, Greenslet GM-83. Bronzed Copper. Specimen-64 BN (PCGS).
A charming and attractive example of this U.S. Mint medal, struck from dies produced for Joseph Sansom's abbreviated ca. 1805-7 Medallic History of the American Revolution series. This variety is a muling of dies Sansom did not intend to be mated, marrying John Reich's anepigraphic obverse of Franklin and Washington (intended to be married to a 1783-dated reverse of an eagle over the globe) to Reich's handsome 1776-dated American Beaver reverse, which was conceived to be paired with an obverse of Franklin alone. The bronzing is well accomplished and even, and the surfaces are attractive and nearly pristine. The reverse shows a rim break below 9 o'clock, a common site on this variety, which probably dates from the late 1850s or after. Unknown in silver and quite elusive in copper, this medal is rarely found so fine. Baker's lovely example, which realized $6,000 in our November 2019 offering, was graded Specimen-63 (PCGS).
PCGS Population: 1, none finer.
From the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation.