1778-1779 (Circa 1780) Rhode Island Ship Medal. Betts-562, W-1745. Wreath Below Ship. Pewter. AU-53 (PCGS).，129.0 grains. Exceedingly well struck with lovely silver and pewter gray surfaces that are overall smooth and highly appealing. A few faint handling marks in the right obverse field are noted for accuracy, as is a more prominent scrape in the left field on the same side.<p>There are several design varieties of the Rhode Island Ship medal. Soon after production started the placement of the word VLUGTENDE came in for scrutiny, perhaps because it would lead to a misinterpretation of the scene (which has obviously happened, as related above). In order to salvage the die for continued use, however, the word VLUGTENDE was laboriously removed by hand, leaving obvious traces of the effacement. The die was further modified to replace the word with a wreath, though even then some traces of VLUGTENDE can be discerned. Examples were all but unknown in the United States until the appearance of a specimen in a W. Elliot Woodward sale in 1864, where it brought the then-staggering price of $40. Ever since, the Rhode Island Ship medals have been in great demand among specialized collectors.<p>Examples of the Wreath Below Ship variety were struck in brass and pewter, with the pewter specimens by far the scarcer of the two compositions. Perhaps 10 to 15 examples in pewter are known in all grades and are among the most fascinating and desirable medals from the Revolutionary War period.，PCGS# 586.，，Ex Col. James W. Ellsworth Collection; John Work Garrett; our (Bowers and Ruddys) sale of the Garrett Collection for The Johns Hopkins University, Part III, October 1980, lot 1328. Collector envelope with provenance notation included.
