1777 B. Franklin of Philadelphia Medal. Unidentified English Medalist. Betts-547, Greenslet GM-40, Adams-Bentley 14. Bronze. Specimen-63 BN (PCGS).45.3 mm, 3.0 to 3.5 mm thick at rims. 632.4 grains. No witness line. <strong>Obv:</strong> A three-quarter left portrait of Benjamin Franklin, depicted with a velvet turban, based upon Edward Fishers 1763 print. The inscription B. FRANKLIN OF PHILADELPHIA L.L.D. & F.R.S. identifies him as a Doctor of Laws (Honorary, University of Saint Andrews, 1759) and a Fellow of the Royal Society. <strong>Rev:</strong> A lone tree attracts a lightning bolt, with the peripheral legend NON IRRITA FULMINA CURA, which Adams and Bentley translate as He is not perturbed by the futile lightning bolts and for which Betts offers the inscrutable He cares not for the ineffectual thunderbolt. Charles Coleman Sellers uses Herbert Gruebers better translation: He stands impervious to the futile thunderbolt. The sense of the expression is something along the lines of He doesnt care how the lightning strikes, suggesting steadfastness in the face of danger while punning on Franklins famed taming of electricity. The date J777 + seems unusual, though J was often used for 1 on coin and medal productions in England in this era, and the cross decoration is seen as a spacer on the Hume medal, among others.<p>Rich brown patina with considerable mint red color remaining in the protected areas. Double struck to bring up the impressive relief, as are all seen, here with slight shift between impressions. Reverse showing very rusted state of the die, much more so than the Fuld plate piece or the LaRiviere specimen.<p>The origins of the 1777 B. Franklin of Philadelphia medal are obscure. The distinctive portrait, and the unusual basining of the reverse, bring to mind a group of medals that are clearly related: the 1778 Washington Voltaire medal, the 1777 Chevalier DEon medal, and the 1776 David Hume medal. Tony Lopez did a good job punchlinking this group in the June 2008 <em>MCA Advisory</em>, and finding that a group of medals shares a punchset is good evidence if not a slam dunk that they come from the same workshop. The August 2008 issue of the same journal features a detailed examination by English medal mensch Christopher Eimer, reflecting on the conversation he and Richard Margolis had shared years earlier discussing many of the same connections among these medals, while cautioning that little evidence connects these medals to the liberal-minded ceramics makers Wedgwood and Bentley.<p>The notes that accompanied the Richard Margolis specimen sold in our Spring 2024 Auction reflect some of those beliefs: This piece is apparently the work of the same bashful engraver responsible for the David Hume, Washington Voltaire, and Chevalier DEon medals. These pieces were probably unsigned because the engraver felt it politically unwise to do so.<p>So while we cannot identify the medalist, we can certainly narrow down the mindset, the crowd, and the political perspective that would inspire a medal of Franklin at a time that he was the most famous face of a treasonous band of colonists. And this medal doesnt just evoke Franklin, it celebrates him: mentioning his honorary degree from the University of Saint Andrews and his fellowship in the Royal Society. The medals pose and inscription are based upon a print of Franklin by Edward Fisher published in 1763, when Franklin was the toast of London, an ally and a strong advocate for the government of George III. This pro-Franklin obverse juxtaposed with his immovable strength - like a tree in a lightning storm - all during the Revolutionary tumult of 1777 makes for a highly charged political statement.<p>The earliest American offering we find of a copper strike from these dies is October 1865, in Ed Cogans Dr. F.S. Edwards sale, lot 1598. Nearly every 19th century offering makes mention of this medals rarity. It is no more common today. Adams and Bentley enumerated eight specimens, including this one, but only casually surveyed known collections; they estimated this medal in bronze is mid-range R-6, or about 20 specimens known. It may be a touch more common than that, but the greater proportion of survivors are worn and mishandled. Gems are non-existent. This is among the nicest ones weve encountered and is worthy of the strongest bids.Ex New Netherlands Coin Company, January 23, 1963; John J. Ford, Jr.; our (Stacks) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XIV, May 2006, lot 337.
