Undiminished lustre surrounds design elements and peripheries on both sides, while fields and devices have mellowed to pleasant and even pewter gray. A cluster of dull marks appear in the upper right obverse field. Old and not terribly severe, the largest is seen under RA of GRATIA. A light abrasion on the obverse rim left of 12 oclock may be related to the little nick right of 12oclock on the reverse. The only other rim flaw is hidden left of the lower reverse. Only minor marks are seen on the reverse, including a shallow abrasion at the left edge of the tree at right. The metal quality is excellent, with no corrosion or raised pest, and the sharpness is superb.<br /><br />Struck from a die state essentially congruent to that found on the original 1757 medals coined in silver for presentation to Native Americans, this medal was produced at the Philadelphia Mint shortly after the arrival of the dies in the building. The dies for the Gates at Saratoga medal were given to Adam Eckfeldt in 1801 and strikings in this composition followed soon thereafter. Joseph Richardson the Younger, Mint assayer and son of one of the two men who struck the originals of this medal in 1757, sent specimens like this one to his friend Thomas Wister in 1813, so they were struck before that time. While mintage figures for these early tin/white metal pieces are unknown, they are rare today and appear on the market infrequently. In later years, these dies were struck in bronze, causing them to break in spectacular fashion. In 1882, new dies were created, and this medal remained on the U.S. Mints medal menu until late in the 20th century. <br />，，，
