(1790s) AE Medal Washington-Success Large, Plain Edge MS(PCGS#779)

Spring 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

1287

Grade

AU58

Price

1,500

Lot Description

Glossy deep olive-brass is fairly consistent across both sides with only minor darker areas at a couple of obverse letters and near UNI on the reverse. A tiny central reverse scratch, but no other handling flaws are seen, explaining the CAC sticker. Struck as usually found with a bit of softness at the central reverse. Patches of aggressive spalling on the reverse, as on all seen. An easy variety to spot for the large obverse die break that crosses Washington's head diagonally upward to the right, not to be confused the more commonly seen variant with an equally severe break that terminates much higher on the left and much lower on the right. This die pairing had not been documented by Baker in 1885. Considering that he would have necessarily relied upon note taking and memory, and could easily have missed the differences in these two dramatic obverse breaks, this omission might simply have been an oversight.