Stack's Bowers Galleries

August 2023 Global Showcase Auction  –  14 - 21 August 2023

Stack's Bowers Galleries, August 2023 Global Showcase Auction

Live Sessions: Ancient and World Coins, Currency

Part A: Mo, 14.08.2023, from 6:00 PM CEST
Part B: Tu, 15.08.2023, from 6:00 PM CEST
Part D: Tu, 15.08.2023, from 6:00 PM CEST
Part 2: Tu, 15.08.2023, from 9:00 PM CEST
Part C: Tu, 15.08.2023, from 10:00 PM CEST
Part 3: We, 16.08.2023, from 5:00 PM CEST
Part 4: We, 16.08.2023, from 7:00 PM CEST
Part 5: We, 16.08.2023, from 10:00 PM CEST
Part 6: Th, 17.08.2023, from 12:00 AM CEST
Part E: Th, 17.08.2023, from 6:00 PM CEST
Part 7: Th, 17.08.2023, from 8:00 PM CEST
Part 8: Fr, 18.08.2023, from 5:00 PM CEST
Part 9: Sa, 19.08.2023, from 1:00 AM CEST
Part 10: Sa, 19.08.2023, from 5:00 PM CEST
Part F: Mo, 21.08.2023, from 4:00 PM CEST
The auction is closed.

Description

1721 John Law / From Theory to Practice Medal. Betts-141, Adams-32. White Metal. MS-61 (PCGS).
35 mm. An extremely rare medal, one missing from every notable collection of John Law medals: LaRiviere, Ford, Adams, et al. Adams knew about it exclusively from an example in the Yale University collection (plated in the Adams monograph). This piece is bright and fully lustrous, with brilliant and nearly unoxidized surfaces. Some scattered abrasions and streaks are seen, none serious. Both sides are well centered and well struck, but for a minor area on the outside of the beaded border just below 3 o'clock on the obverse. This is clearly a major rarity in the series, but also one of the more interesting pieces. The 1721 is in chronogram, which is to say, represented in Roman numerals by larger capital letters throughout the legend. Adams' translation of the legends suggests just how spicy this medal is. On the obverse, "in the month of January 1721, when the author, promoter, and executive of the great American mission went to Rome," paired with this on the reverse: "the deflation of the Mississippi Company shares is matched in folly by the king's dream of using the dregs of French society to convert the American Indians to Christianity." That's rich, and it's entirely unique in sentiment in the world of Law medals specifically or Betts medals generally. It's no wonder this thing is so rare. We trace exactly zero appearances of other specimens of this medal.
From the Skyler Liechty Collection. Earlier from Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger Auction 410-411, October 2013, lot 1068. Collector tag with attribution notation included.

Estimate: $8000

Question about this lot?

Bidding

Price realized 17'000 USD
Starting price 1 USD
Estimate 8'000 USD
The auction is closed.
Feedback / Support