1779 Benjamin Franklin Uniface Plaque. Cast Brass. 149 mm. By Jean-Baptiste Nini. Unlisted in Greenslet. Mint State. Bare bust of Franklin left, legend ERIPUIT COELO FULMEN SCEPTRUMQUE TIRANNIS around the border. The truncation of the bust has Ninis signature coat of arms and, below the bust, the date in Roman numerals. Similar in style to Greenslet GM-7, which is a terra cotta plaque, although this piece is brass and in a larger format. Additionally, the handling of Ninis signature and the dating style vary from GM-7. The high-relief bust is in a dramatic and appealing format, somewhat reminiscent of John Sinnocks low-relief Benjamin Franklin half dollar. The unusually sharp details indicate that this was probably a direct casting off Ninis mother-mold. The semi-reflective deep bronze patina presents the portrait handsomely, and it stands out nicely from the expertly chased fields. The reverse with a vague reversed image of the obverse, and a soldered-on suspension loop. An important Nini plaque variant. From the Richard Jewell Collection.
