1781 Lieutenant Colonel William Washington at Cowpens Medal. Paris Mint Restrike. Silver. 46 mm. Betts-594, Julian MI-8, Adams-Bentley 11. MS-63 (PCGS).Handsome sandblast surfaces are bathed in rich antique silver patina. The strike is sharp, and the surfaces are smooth enough to support a higher Choice grade were it not for a faint, circular spot in the obverse field before Washingtons head. The edge of the piece is marked SILVER, as opposed to ARGENT, which suggests a somewhat later Paris Mint restrike, although not a modern one. Adams and Bentley (2007) reports a silver Paris Mint restrike with a reverse die break from 11 to 1 oclock that dates to the 1860 to 1880 era, the latest state known to them. As far as we can tell through the PCGS holder, the present example does not appear to display this break.The William Washington medal was a very popular one among medal collectors of the 19th century, "possibly because of his family name and the rage for Washingtoniana," according to Julian, and restrikes were always in demand. Silver restrikes from the original dies are quite scarce though, there being none in Kessler-Spangenberger, among other sales. For those who seek a truly beautiful impression from the original dies, this example is unlikely to be surpassed.Collector tag with attribution notation included.
