1781 Lieutenant Colonel William Washington, Battle of the Cowpens Medal. Original Paris Mint Striking. By Pierre Simon DuVivier. Adams-Bentley 11, Betts-594, Julian MI-8. Bronze. Plain Edge. Specimen-64 (PCGS). 45.9 mm, 3.5 - 3.7 mm thick. 657.8 grains. Plain concave edge, witness line or collar mark at 11 oclock. An exceptional early die state specimen, with more deeply reflective fields than usually seen and superb visual appeal. Dark chocolate-brown surfaces are enlivened by gold, blue and violet highlights. The devices are perfectly struck and well detailed. An ancient India ink 17 is seen in shadow in the upper left obverse field, and a similar 20 retains its ink in the upper left reverse. The rims are barely filed, just at the outermost portion of the obverse rim and similarly subtly and deftly along the right side of the reverse. The fields are mostly free of marks, though we note a diagonal dig left of VIRTUTIS and a little rim tick above the letter T in PRAEFECTO. While the spalling marks align with Adams-Bentley State 2, the collar mark on the edge dates this pieces production rather early in the striking sequence, as do the deeply mirrored fields. The triangular break on the collar is noted on the obverse side of the edge at the collar mark, just above the letter G in WASHINGTON. This is among the earliest state copper strikings your cataloger (JK) has seen. A handsome piece, and a particularly desirable one. A similar MS-64 (PCGS) example brought $5,760 in our recent November 2021 sale of the E. Pluribus Unum Collection. PCGS# 684292 PCGS Population: 3; none finer. Ex John J. Ford, Jr., acquired from a source in Paris; Ted Craige, acquired September 25, 1966; Ted Craige estate, 1983; John W. Adams; our sale of the John W. Adams Collection, November 2019 Baltimore Auction, lot 2065.
