1770 Death of Whitefield Medal. Betts-527. Copper, 36 mm. MS-64 BN (PCGS).

328.1 grains. Cataloged more than two decades ago by your cataloger as "Choice lustrous light to medium brown with some mint color and natural iridescence. Obverse cracked from 3:30 to 5:30 through M of A.M. A beautiful and well-executed medal by Thomas Pingo, probably the most attractively done of the series. Its reverse is simple and communicative which, as described by Betts, features 'an urn; a cherub with a skull above.' A popular medal of Whitefield, in outstanding condition." It has been 23 years since we last cataloged and sold this medal. When Mr. Margolis bought it in the 2001 LaRiviere II sale, it had been 23 years since he had sold it to Lucien in the first place. We're guessing it took Mr. Margolis two decades to realize he had never seen a better one, because that's just dawning on us now too.

From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from Richard Margolis, August 1978; our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Lucien LaRiviere Collection, Part II, March 2001, lot 2123.

Estimate: $2000