1780 Treaty of Armed Neutrality Medal. Betts-573. Silver. MS-63+ (PCGS).31.5 mm. An exceptional quality specimen, still the best one your cataloger has ever seen 25 years after he saw it for the first time. This pieces quality is so nice that John Ford acquired it at the 2001 LaRiviere III sale as an upgrade, one of the few medals he bought at that sale and one of the few times he chose to acquire a medal based upon preservation alone. In 2001, it was described as "bright reflective silver gray with remarkable luster. Light golden toning clings to the periphery, and a few tiny obverse spots do nothing to detract from the excellent eye appeal." This pieces flashy aesthetic appeal remains a cut above a typical specimen of this elusive medal. The reverse is broadly double struck, but the inscription remains bold and well defined. Weve sold just three of these since the 2006 Ford sale.Ex Richard Margolis, May 1976; our (Bowers and Merenas) sale of the Lucien LaRiviere Collection, Part III, May 2001, lot 1077; John J. Ford, Jr.; our (Stacks) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part XIV, May 2006, lot 232; Sydney F. Martin; our sale of the Sydney F. Martin Collection, Part V, November 2023 Auction, lot 1031.
