1763 Peace of Paris Medal. Betts-444. Bronze. MS-62 BN (PCGS).
42 mm. 556.4 grains. Plain edge. One of only two bronze examples of this Betts number we've offered since the Ford sale of 2006. When we offered this piece in March 2012, we described it as: A scarce and popular official French medal marking the end of the Seven Years War in North America and elsewhere, with the reverse legend PAX UBIQUE VICTRIX or 'Peace Triumphs Everywhere.' Attractive surfaces show blue and violet toning in the obverse fields, more chestnut brown near peripheries, and more even medium brown on the reverse. Crisply defined, some fine hairlines from a light cleaning long ago. Quite scarce as such an early strike. The Adams piece, sold by Heritage in January 2012, used a later obverse and was struck with a 19th century texture; it realized $2,530. This specimen sports a superb half-century long provenance including two of the best known collectors in the Betts medal field. Its provenance has only gotten better in the last decade when its rarity has come into greater focus.
From the Joe Foster Collection. Earlier from Fred Samuels to New Netherlands Coin Company, April 1963; Ted L. Craige Collection; Craige Estate to John J. Ford, Jr., October 1982; our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XIV, May 2006, lot 149; Jim Jones Collection; our Baltimore Auction of March 2012, lot 1029.

Estimate: $1500