(ca. 1778) Benjamin Franklin Oval Medallion by Wedgwood, after William Hackwood. Sellers 4, Reilly & Savage a. Black basalt earthenware. Extremely Fine or better. 52 mm x 44 mm. An exceptional bare-headed portrait of Franklin facing left, with FRANKLIN impressed on a slight arc beneath the bust. According to Sellers (<em>Benjamin Franklin in Portraiture</em>), this was "issued through the years probably in greater numbers" than any other Wedgwood Franklin portrait. Created in a variety of sizes, this is the smallest of them, measuring just over two inches at its longer axis. William Hackwood sculpted the bust, apparently inspired by Ninis portrait from life. This one is marked Wedgwood & Bentley on the otherwise unmarked back, a mark used just through 1780. The condition is flawless, with no chips or marks, just a light pencil number on the back.<p>For those who collect medallic portraits of Benjamin Franklin, this bears perhaps the greatest resemblance to a coin or medal format among all of the Wedgwood portraits, and has the added interest of an early Revolutionary War era production date.
