Revolutionary medal at Whitman Summer Expo

From the estate of Alfred B. Carb, The Washington before Boston medal in silver will be presented in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction of the Whitman Summer Expo from May 22-24 in Baltimore, Md.

The “1776” (1790) Washington Before Boston Medal, Silver, 68mm, Musante GW-09-P1, Baker-47, Adams & Bentley-3, Betts-542, Julian MI-1, PCGS graded Specimen-61. This is “one of just five in private hands.” (Images courtesy Stack’s Bowers.)

According to the Stack’s Bowers auction lot description, this is the first medal authorized by Congress.

The Revolutionary War medal was voted to General George Washington for his achievement of routing the British from Boston on March 17, 1776. The Paris Mint made two other impressions in gold and copper (bronze), which are very rare.

There was a demand for restrikes, but since the original reverse broke in the 1790s, they used a replacement die to make later restrikes that contained a die-cutting error. Instead of the year reading “1776,” it read “1276.” They corrected this by repunching the numerals, which created an overdate.

The “1776” (1790) Washington Before Boston Medal, Original, Bronze, 68.1 mm, Baker-47B, Julian MI-1. Rariey-6, Plain Edge, PCGS graded MS66 BN., which sold for $38,775 in 2016. (Images courtesy Stack’s Bowers.)

The bronze medal was featured in the Stack’s Bowers 2016 sale as part of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part II. It sold for $38,775.

Much like its bronze counterpart, the silver medal has Washington’s bust prominently featured on the obverse with Washington and his troops amidst battle on the reverse.

Unlike the bronze edition, this silver finish is PCGS graded Specimen-61.