1783 Joseph Priestley Medal. BHM-251 var, Eimer-807 var, D&H Warwickshire 33. Silver, 36 mm. SP-63 (PCGS).

Dies by John Gregory Hancock. Attractive pale blue and olive gray toning over brilliant, reflective surfaces. Some hairlines are seen, but no significant distractions otherwise. Struck to mark Priestley's 50th birthday, this piece commemorates Priestley at a time when his greatest scientific discoveries were behind him, but he was an ally and hero to revolutionaries on both sides of the Atlantic. A decade later, he would move to Pennsylvania, where he died in 1804. Just a year before this medal was struck, Priestley was named an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The reverse die of this piece is slightly different than the copper one that follows.

From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from Sotheby's (New York) sale of February 1981, lot 283.

Estimate: $800