1786 Benjamin Franklin Natus Boston Medal. Betts-620. Bronze, 46 mm. MS-63 BN (PCGS).

590.3 grains. Plain concave edge with a raised collar band left of 6 o'clock relative to the obverse and a clear collar mark at 10:30 relative to the obverse. An especially early original striking, the die state earlier than the silver specimen offered above and apparently identical to Washington's silver specimen, struck in 1789 or earlier. Beautiful lustrous chocolate brown surfaces show warm gloss and very few defects of any kind. The aesthetic appeal far surpasses the grade assigned, and the only flaw concerted effort finds is a thin hairline beneath RANK in the left obverse field. The lower obverse rim was filed at the time of production, as usually seen. While any striking from these dies with a plain edge is generally accorded status as an original, this piece is from the earliest possible era of striking, with an edge and die state that bespeak an origin within a very brief time span - three years, at most, and quite likely less - of Dupre's completion of these dies. While the market is generally not savvy enough to value a medal higher based upon microscopic differences in its die state or the particular sort of collar used, collectors with some connoisseurship should snap up medals like these when they appear at a standard market price.

From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from Etienne Page's auction of May 1975, lot 170; Claude Silberstein, May 1975.

Estimate: $1500