1781 (post-1839) Daniel Morgan, Battle of the Cowpens Medal. Copy Dies. Philadelphia Mint. By J.-J. Barre, after Augustin Dupre. Adams-Bentley 10, Betts-593, Julian MI-7. Bronze. MS-63 BN (NGC). 56 mm. The Daniel Morgan at Cowpens is one of the most stunning designs from the American medallic canon. Like all Comitia Americana medals, originals are rare to exceedingly rare. Medals from copy dies became essential as demand grew. These Barre dies were stunningly crafted in Paris, the present example allowing full appreciation of this fact in the form of intricate detail throughout the design. Early die state, before the injury that manifests within the multistep rim above the flags at the left side of the obverse. The obverse exhibits slight marbling of rose-brown to dominant golden-copper patina, the reverse in uniform copper-rose. A tiny void in the upper right reverse field is noted, but there are no sizeable handling marks, although a trace of light carbon and some muting to the preclude a higher numeric grade. Just 96 examples were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in bronze between 1855 and 1904; this early die state piece may have been among the small number struck before those records were kept.
