(1758) AE Medal Betts-410, Louisbourg, BN MS(PCGS#613677)
(1758) AE Medal Betts-410, Louisbourg, BN MS (PCGS#613677)
Spring 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 1149
- 等级
- MS65BN
- 价格
- 48,509
- 详细说明
- 43.8 mm. Truly memorable quality for this type, a core medal to include in a specialized collection of Betts medals. Handsome medium brown patina with steely-olive highlights and, in a few isolated areas, faded mint orange color. Both sides are softy frosted in texture, exceptionally smooth in appearance, and fully Gem in quality. A very impressive piece of medallic art, made more notable by its absolutely outstanding state of preservation. Every design element and detail is apparent, including an incredibly well defined map of North America on the obverse that shows an adequate depiction of the East Coast from the Delmarva Peninsula to Nova Scotia as well as the St. Lawrence River. Most specimens of this medal do not show this much fine detail; the great majority of survivors are in VF or EF condition. This is among the finest known, similar in quality to LaRiviere:2084, which example was pierced for suspension (this piece is not). A simply outstanding piece that would improve any collection of early American medals.<p>This medal celebrates the victory at Louisbourg with delightful iconography. Fame sounds a trumpet and holds a wreath of victory while below, a British grenadier and sailor gesture towards a globe which reads CANADA and AMERICA with the motto PARITER IN BELLA or "Equally brave in war," referring to the navy of Admiral Boscawen and the army of General Amherst. The globe lays atop a nude female who gestures to an inverted fleur-de-lis. The reverse depicts an amazingly detailed scene of the naval battle of Louisbourg, focusing on the overtaking and burning of the French men-of-war <em>Bienfaisant</em> and <em>Prudent</em>.<p>This medal is as close as collectors of early American medals may come to a decoration from the French and Indian War, the North American theater of the global Seven Years' War. Examples are known in gold, silver and copper, almost all of which are pierced for suspension. This follows the usual pattern for awarded medals of gold for generals and high command, silver for officers, and copper for distinguished soldiers. However, rather than the usual rash of conjecture and assumption, in the case of this medal there are actually gold specimens known that retain their ribbons and provenances. Lionel LaPointe, writing in the April 1932 issue of <em>The Numismatist</em>, cited four specimens in gold including "those awarded to Sir Alexander Schomberg and Senor Midshipman (afterwards Sir George) Young." LaPointe goes on to state that this medal was "awarded to those who distinguished themselves upon land under Generals Amherst and Wolfe, and at sea under Admiral Boscawen." While it is unknown if a semiprivate group or an official entity was responsible for this medal's distribution, it is unlikely it was royally sanctioned due to the absence of the King's portraiture. Still, this medal is of the highest historical importance, the present copper impression especially rare since it is both unpierced and in an exceptionally high state of preservation.