Circa 1800 Washington Funeral Medal. Funeral Urn. Musante GW-70, Baker-166B. Dies 3-B. Copper. EF-40 (PCGS).

29.3 mm. Pierced for suspension at 12 o’clock. Though not as exciting as an impression in gold this is probably the rarest of the funeral medals offered here. The surfaces are dark brown, with some olive overtones and traces of heavy patina in some of the protected recesses. A few of the high points have been handled enough to show occasional traces of lighter brown copper. The same is noted in parts of the suspension hole. Scattered handling marks on both sides, but none is serious enough to warrant specific mention. As we stated in our 2013 offering of this piece, there is no evidence whatsoever that this is anything but a struck medal in copper. Numerous electrotypes exist for this type (as well as of the Skull and Crossbones), so it is an obvious question to ask, but it has successfully passed the examination of several experts, and now ranks among the most important Funeral Urn discoveries of recent years. Copper impressions are known of other funeral medals, including at least one from the 1-B die pairing, one Skull and Crossbones and four ovals, one of which appeared in our December 2004 sale as a new discovery. Even Sylvester S. Crosby owned a Funeral Urn in copper, but it is unknown which specimen was in his 1883 sale, if it has even come to light. It was described therein as “uncirculated” and “pierced.” However, as noted in our 2013 offering, the Funeral Urn medal in copper is extremely rare—indeed, it is so rare that very few collectors or specialists have ever seen an example. This is as true today as it was when this came to light almost a decade ago. Struck from the same reverse die as used on the gold specimen offered in this sale, in a similar die state, with a long rim to rim crack beginning just left of the Urn’s base, extending to the dentils over G.

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier discovered on eBay by collector Thomas Donlon in Maine; our sale of August 2013, lot 4009.