1804 Commodore Edward Preble / War with Tripoli Medal. Original Dies. By John Reich. Julian NA-3. Bronze. MS-62 BN (NGC). 64 mm. Handsome medium brown patina with warmer olive-copper outlines to many of the design elements. Struck from the original dies, as evidenced by the sizable cud breaks on the reverse rim from 10 to 12 oclock. These show evidence of ancient filing, likely from the time of production, as most Preble medals seen bear these cuds and nearly all are heavily filed, suggesting it happened at the source. The die state is not as advanced as on some that we have handled, however, and we know of a least one that has considerable die spalling on both sides (August 2018 ANA:28).
