In Shock - Libertas Americana
brianc1959
Posts: 350 ✭✭✭✭✭
Was just the high bidder on a Libertas Americana medal, and I can't quite believe it . . .
27
brianc1959
Posts: 350 ✭✭✭✭✭
Comments
Congrats! Make sure to post pics when you get it.
Is it this one?https://coins.ha.com/itm/colonials/1781-dated-libertas-americana-medal-copper-ms62-brown-ngc-betts-615-loubat-14/a/1347-3002.s
Young Numismatist
Congratulations!
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
That's the one. Perhaps not a bargain, but I liked the color and I'm sure I'll never regret the purchase. I think the shock comes from the prospect of owning something that comes with a significant burden of responsibility.
Congrats!
What a cool piece of history.
So damn cool!
A beautiful piece! Congratulations!
Awesome piece of history- congratulations!
Congratulations on a superb acquisition. That is a treasure you will enjoy for many years to come. Cheers, RickO
Way cool congrats
Wow, what a beautiful piece of history. Congratulations.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Congratulations on a very cool acquisition! Bravo!
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
Very nice! Congrats!
BST transactions: dbldie55, jayPem, 78saen, UltraHighRelief, nibanny, liefgold, FallGuy, lkeigwin, mbogoman, Sandman70gt, keets, joeykoins, ianrussell (@GC), EagleEye, ThePennyLady, GRANDAM, Ilikecolor, Gluggo, okiedude, Voyageur, LJenkins11, fastfreddie, ms70, pursuitofliberty, ZoidMeister,Coin Finder, GotTheBug, edwardjulio, Coinnmore, Nickpatton, Namvet69,...
Congratulations! With everything else in rare coins surging, it would appear to be a bargain. But more importantly, this is a piece I've always coveted, so good for you.
Tom
Beautiful piece, congrats
BHNC #203
Congrats! This is much better than the thread I was anticipating based on the title, where I'd open it to see you're in shock that you found a Libertas Americana somewhere and didn't realize it's a terrible counterfeit. Such is life on the CU boards...
Way to go. Beautiful medal.
That is a great piece from US history, congratulations on a fine acquisition
Congrats! Awesome piece.
Congratulations! That is an amazing piece!
This one is rather attractive as well. There are several of these, graded at this level and higher, that are real dogs - discolored/stained, excessive carbon spots, or even harsh cleaning! It does have obverse nicks and some wear, but that rarely precludes a MS grade and is acceptable as “cabinet friction”.
While I don’t think the surfaces are completely original, the glossy brown surfaces are very appealing. I would say it is nicer, in terms of eye appeal, than 70% of other medals in this grade and higher.
The first thing that I’d do, if it was mine…crack it out of that holder! I think the TPG slabs offer protection for the medal, but a large holder like that really inhibits the ability to enjoy it.
Congratulations — a bucket list piece for many collectors! You are now one of very few that will ever own one. 🙂 👍🏻
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
I appreciate your expertise and comments - thanks!
Regarding a crack out, I'm way too cautious to do something like that. Nightmare visions of it falling out of the holder onto the floor, picking up a few rim dings and scratches along the way, and then the dog picking it up and chewing on it come to mind. If anything, after doing some photography I may put that oversized protective TPG slab inside an even bigger slab!
Love it! Real history in your hands, there. This on my bucket list, too. But I think I missed the opportunity to buy one at a bargain years ago.
It's certainly worth every penny.
Congratulations!
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Congrats! A true prize in Numismatics. You should be proud indeed.
Impressive 👌 congrats on the beautiful medal👍👍👍
That’s a nice one too, well down. I agree the 2 grade is a net for the old color processing which got you a very attractive piece that beguiles the grade. That is the type of treasure a family member will pull out in a generation or two and marvel how you got it and their good fortune. Those while expensive now might just be completely unattainable to working people 50 or 100 years from now
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
you have the burden to get it into a smaller holder
Congratulations!
On my one day maybe list ...
Sugar magnolia blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don't care ...
Congrats! It's beautiful.
Wow! Congratulations on your purchase of an original Libertas Americana. Truly a piece of history!
"You can't get just one gun." "You can't get just one tattoo." "You can't get just one 1796 Draped Bust Large Cent."
Beautiful! Congratulations.
My medal arrived today, and it's even better than I expected. And the emotional aspect of winning/owning/caretaking this incredible item is undiminished. From what I've read, Franklin himself may have personally handled every single one of these. I wonder if he washed his hands? In this case it is possibly unfortunate that I can't spot any obvious fingerprints!
Here is my first snapshot:
The holder is monstrous, but the medal itself is huge - making a silver dollar appear small by comparison:
Although the Libertas Americana medal is a collectors' treasure, it is not an extreme rarity. There are more of them that have survived in various grades than you might expect.
Back in the early 1980s, there was a Boston dealer / speculator who opened a coin shop in the financial district. He hired fellow, who shall we say, was eccentric when he was spending someone else’s money.
That fellow bought every Libertas Americana medal in sight. Overall they had about 50 pieces. The grades ranged from ground salvage corroded to high end AU / low end Unc. This was 40 years ago so my memory is not perfect. I looked at them a couple of times because I was in the market for an example. Their prices were always a bit too high.
I ultimately bought this one from Tony Terranova. You will be angry at me if you know what I paid, but they were not the hot collectors’ item then that they are now.
From what I've read, the original mintage was about 200, and more than half have survived. So although rare, certainly not excessively so. Given that L.A. is just a medal, and not a real coin, I would guess you may have paid below $1000. for your sample - which is a very nice one, BTW - back in the 1980's. Are you keeping yours raw, or do you plan to get it slabbed in one of those giant (and heavy) holders?