1758 Oswego Captured Medal. Betts-415. Silver, 31 mm. AU-58 (PCGS). 174.9 grains. Reeded edge. The only victories medal of the French and Indian War struck by the French, a testament to how the war for North America went for them after 1757. This medal marks the worldwide victories of 1757, including the taking of Fort Oswego in upstate New York.<p><p>The quality of this piece is far finer than normally encountered, with deep luster on both sides and flashy reflectivity on the reverse. Lovely toning in shades of pastel blue, violet, and rich gold embraces the peripheries and enlivens the devices. Only trivial hairlines and evidence of handling is seen on either side. A typical Oswego Captured medal will look downright circulated, and the only example we have sold in a grade finer than EF in the last 15 years is the Ford specimen, resold as NGC AU-58 in our September 2009 Philadelphia Americana sale.<p><p>Long considered a classic French and Indian War rarity, a centerpiece of a Franco-American jeton collection and one of the most desirable Betts medals of this era, recent prices have shown a softening of interest in this issue. This probably suggests a good opportunity to build an advanced collection of French and Indian War related medals at prices no higher than when people like Mr. Margolis were buying them in the first place.<p> PCGS# 619526. From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from Swiss Bank Corps sale of January 1993, lot 3021.
