1777 B. Franklin of Philadelphia Medal. Bronze. 45 mm. Greenslet GM-40, Betts-547. Fine Details--Corrosion (NGC). Universally rough dark copper surfaces with traces of verdigris and other light surface build up scattered about. Moderately worn and less than ideally preserved, although retaining bold outline detail to all devices that allows full appreciation of the design. The earliest American offering we find of a copper strike from these dies is October 1865, in Ed Cogans Dr. F.S. Edwards sale, lot 1598. Nearly every 19th century offering makes mention of this medals rarity. It is no more common today. Adams and Bentley enumerated eight specimens but only casually surveyed known collections; they estimated "this medal in bronze is mid-range R-6," or about 20 specimens known. It seems to be a touch more common than that, but still elusive enough that even the typical worn survivor, as here, enjoys strong demand among both Betts medal enthusiasts and Franklin specialists. From the Richard Hoover Collection.
