A beautiful Libertas
OriginalDan
Posts: 3,748 ✭✭✭✭✭
Picked this up earlier in the year and just received it back from PCGS with an excellent Trueview photo. This is the only modern I hold in my collection, I always loved the design and consider this a "poor man's" example. This one is the gold 43g restrike from 2004, and this particular example is edge-numbered 0048 out of total mintage of 1776. Not normally being a medal collector, I love how solid and hefty this feels, but with such an elegant design.
With only 7 graded at PCGS it doesn't mean a whole lot but this is the first and only to grade PR69DCAM. Enjoy...and post anything Libertas related if you'd like.
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With only 7 graded at PCGS it doesn't mean a whole lot but this is the first and only to grade PR69DCAM. Enjoy...and post anything Libertas related if you'd like.
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Comments
Does the prong holder allow you to see the edge numbering?
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
Hoard the keys.
<< <i>Does the prong holder allow you to see the edge numbering? >>
That's a great question, a little embarrassed to admit that it arrived right at the end of business yesterday and I ran out the door without checking.
I'll get back to you.
<< <i>It'd look a lot better in my collection than yours...
I responded first, so I get "dibs"
Some collectors don't realize this, but the Libertas Americana medal is only one and the most famous of a set of medals that were issued in connection with the American Revolutionary War called the Cometia Americana series.. Here is a piece designed by Dupre, who also designed the Libertas , that was awarded to Daniel Morgan for his leadership in the Battle of the Cow Pens. To see a Hollywood re-enactment of this battle, check out the last scenes in the Mel Gibson film "The Patriot." This is considered to be one of the most beautiful pieces in the series. The original dies were lost soon after the first pieces were struck, and this example was made from a set of copy dies that were made in France in the late 1830s. These dies are virtually identical to the original die pair.
<< <i>It'd look a lot better in my collection than yours...
This is one that I'll be pulling out periodically to enjoy, sitting in my leather chair near the fireplace this winter.
<< <i>Ahhhhhhhh, there it is. Never gets old cardinal, thanks for re-posting it. I'm a bit confused I see re-strikes from 1976, 2004 and 2006. Is one date better than the other? >>
Depending on what you are looking for, there are a number of options for the restrikes.
Here's a display of the different issues I've put together
The 1976 restrikes are oversized 77mm medals, only produced in business strike (MS) format.
In 2000, 500 restrikes were made in gold deep cameo proof format at 46.8mm with 64g of .920 gold, and 2,500 restrikes were made in silver business strike format at 45.86mm with 42.8g of .950 silver. The typical quality of these are quite good.
In 2004, 1776 restrikes were made in gold deep cameo proof format at 40mm with 43g of .999 gold, and 15,000 restrikes were made in silver deep cameo proof format at 40mm with 24g of .999 silver. The typical quality of these are quite good, though the majority of the silver ones have developed lots of white milk spots. These are the one's I have had placed in the double-coin holders.
Around 2005-2007, an unspecified number of restrikes were made in silver and bronze, and the overall production quality was very poor, stemming from dies that were not sharply engraved to begin with.
Brand new deep cameo proof restrikes were also made just this year, in both silver and gold, redesigned into a very high relief format. These are also of very high quality.
I think you would be pleased to have any of these recent restrikes, other than the 2005-2007 group.
Cardinal's set is of course amazing!
<< <i>Oh, this thread rocks! >>
+1
<< <i>I sure love Bill's bronze!
Cardinal's set is of course amazing! >>
Agreed on both counts.
Bill, your posts are always educational and appreciated. I'm glad you were able to find an original before prices shot up. It's not surprising to me they are so sought after.
Cardinal, thank you for posting here and for the information provided in your libertas americana showcase. When I was researching the re-strikes, I struggled to find good information about them. Your showcase provided exactly what I was looking for.
Interesting to hear that more re-strikes were made this year, especially in high relief. Do you have one yet? I'd love to see a picture and hear more about them.
Bob, I wouldn't mind finding a matching silver example too. The double holder idea is just too cool.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
<< <i>beautiful items.... why is the hat so ... stiff? >>
I'm not sure..maybe they used a lot of starch in their laundry back then. Why else would Miss Liberty's thin hair ribbon stick out in mid-air behind her head in her Draped Bust portrait, instead of obeying the laws of gravity?
I have no interest in owning an actual bronze medal but have purchased exonumia with this design over the years
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<< <i>beautiful items.... why is the hat so ... stiff? >>
I'm not sure..maybe they used a lot of starch in their laundry back then. Why else would Miss Liberty's thin hair ribbon stick out in mid-air behind her head in her Draped Bust portrait, instead of obeying the laws of gravity?
Obviously she is facing into a gale force wind, and it is inflating the hat like a parachute!
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<< <i>
<< <i>beautiful items.... why is the hat so ... stiff? >>
I'm not sure..maybe they used a lot of starch in their laundry back then. Why else would Miss Liberty's thin hair ribbon stick out in mid-air behind her head in her Draped Bust portrait, instead of obeying the laws of gravity?
Obviously she is facing into a gale force wind, and it is inflating the hat like a parachute! >>
Yes, obviously.
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<< <i>
<< <i>beautiful items.... why is the hat so ... stiff? >>
I'm not sure..maybe they used a lot of starch in their laundry back then. Why else would Miss Liberty's thin hair ribbon stick out in mid-air behind her head in her Draped Bust portrait, instead of obeying the laws of gravity?
Obviously she is facing into a gale force wind, and it is inflating the hat like a parachute! >>
Perhaps those were the gale force winds of Victory, that secured America's Liberty!
Box of 20
<< <i>Stumbled on one that was re-struck in 2001 2001 gold >>
Actually, that's one from the 2004 mintage. Over the years, NGC has been very inconsistent with the accuracy of their identification of various medals.
<< <i>I also came upon a silver version struck this year. Searched the Paris Mint site but had no luck locating one. >>
Yep, the entire mintage was subscribed by a marketing organization, so none are available from the Mint. You have to wait for them to appear on the aftermarket.
Here's the silver one that PCGS graded for me -- 5oz silver, but struck in such high relief that it's only 50mm in diameter:
PCGS Registries
Box of 20
SeaEagleCoins: 11/14/54-4/5/12. Miss you Larry!
<< <i>That's awesome! Were the 2014 high relief issues only in 5oz or were there other sizes? Was the gold issue also 5oz? >>
From what I have seen, there have been silver restrikes issued in 5oz size, and gold restrikes in 5oz and 1oz size. I don't have any TrueViews of the gold ones as yet -- maybe i will next week!
Obv: Liberty facing left - at the time, pretty much a big middle finger to England.
Rev: Minerva (France) defending infant (U. S. A) from the lion (England), the infant has the two snakes (the surrenders of Burgoyne at Saratoga - 1777, and Cornwallis at Yorktown - 1781) defeated.
To own an original one of these is one of my ultimate goals as both a coin collector and as an American.
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<< <i>That's awesome! Were the 2014 high relief issues only in 5oz or were there other sizes? Was the gold issue also 5oz? >>
From what I have seen, there have been silver restrikes issued in 5oz size, and gold restrikes in 5oz and 1oz size. I don't have any TrueViews of the gold ones as yet -- maybe i will next week!
A TrueView will be nice, but I'd rather hold one in hand.
I'm happy to see that this thread drew Cardinal out. I love his posts in general and particulary on this subject.
I picked this one up earlier this year. Mark
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Here's a Lincoln Cent for size reference
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My sets: [280+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins]
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brg that is one huge medal. Very neat.
I really shouldn't be looking at all of these, it was supposed to stop at just this one!
<< <i>Here's my 1983 restrike in bronze. It's around 79mm diameter...not exactly sure but it's BIG!
Let's just call them 3" -- they're just about exactly the diameter of the 5oz ATB quarters. Here's my type set of them, in emission sequence: