1781 (1783) Libertas Americana Medal. Original. Paris Mint. By Augustin Dupre. Betts-615, Adams-Bentley 15. Bronze. MS-63 BN (PCGS).47.5 mm. 741.1 grains. Plain, concave edge. A lovely and desirable example of Americas most beloved medal. Both sides are smooth and lustrous, with magnificent detail throughout. The obverse surfaces are a mottled combination of orange-tan and deeper milk chocolate, while the reverse is a more even frosty medium brown. The reverse shows one mark above the leopards back but is otherwise pristine. The obverse shows a couple marks in the lower left field, some mostly obscure hairlines, and some as-made lintmarks around the periphery. The overall aesthetic appeal is excellent for the grade.<p>Bronze Libertas Americana medals continue to grow in interest and popularity. They are numerous enough to be obtainable, extant in a wide variety of grades that allow a wide swath of those interested to have one in their sights. But for connoisseurs, who can be patient enough to wait for an example that still looks much the same as when it was delivered to Franklin himself, examples like this turn up rarely and are worth competing for. Over the last 15 years, as most nice Libertas Americana medals have been sold with certified grades, we have handled medals of this quality or better an average of once per year. Only two calendar years in that span saw us sell more than one bronze Libertas Americana medal graded MS-63 BN or finer. So while bronze examples of this famous type may appear frequently, examples like this do not. This one has been off the market for decades.From the Richard August Collection.
