1775 Lord North Medal. Betts-551. Silver, 36 mm. MS-63 (PCGS).

300.6 grains. A beautifully toned example of this Betts number, a genuine rarity in silver. Brightly variegated gold, green, and magenta toning frames the periphery. Some luster remains on the obverse, nearly all of it remains on the flashy and reflective reverse. Both sides exhibit some old hairlines, and the right obverse rim shows several short scratches, the longest of which runs between S and C to North's queue. This medal was struck to honor North's election as Chancellor of Oxford University. While Lord North, Britain's Prime Minister during the entire American Revolution, may not seem quite so charismatic as Franklin, this portrait medal is very very tough to find in this composition. We have not offered a silver example since 2009.

From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from Hedley Betts, April 1982.

Estimate: $1500