1800 Hero of Freedom medal. Musante GW-81, Baker-79B. Copper. MS-63 BN (PCGS).38.3 mm. 419.4 grains. Handsome deep chestnut brown on the obverse with a nuance of deeply faded tan just right of Washington’s truncation. The reverse patina is somewhat more reminiscent of mahogany bronze with a subtle reddish tint. Some very light spotting is seen on both sides, but the surfaces are smooth, glossy and mildly reflective throughout. The central device is very nicely struck with even the highest area of Washington’s hair virtually complete, and elsewhere very sharp. The reverse is also fully struck. Traces of double striking are noted through the reverse legends. There are no marks worthy of individual mention on either side. These medals are rarely seen this nice.<p>The Hero of Freedom medal is known to occasionally be struck over 1797 British twopence pieces, a variant long considered rare. Those so-identified tend to show somewhat dramatic evidence of the undertype, frequently at the rims but occasionally elsewhere, too. The writer has long suspected that use of that undertype is more common than realized and that some hosts might have simply been better prepared for use as planchets than others, perhaps evidence of a learning curve as the medals were produced. This medal has anomalies on the rims. They are very minor, and with the exception of one beneath the bust, they are on the reverse and seem to be the remnants of heavy file marks that did not completely strike out. The edge seems to have similar remnants. Finally, at the center of the reverse is a tiny depression with close rings around it, again, an artifact that is not struck out. This might be a center point for a lathe that was used to cut down a larger planchet, perhaps a cartwheel host. This identical mark was visible on the Norweb specimen that was clearly struck over a cartwheel twopence.<p>This is a truly delightful example and it comes with an extended provenance back to the landmark Bushnell sale in 1882. The Baker number is on the edge, in red.Ex Charles I. Bushnell, S.H. and H. Chapman, June 1882, lot 1305; William Spohn Baker Collection, to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by bequest, November 15, 1897.
