Lot 1990
1702. American Treasure Captured at Vigo. Bronze. 37.0 mm, 286 grains. B-97. About Uncirculated 50 glossy chocolate brown with smooth surfaces that are slightly disrupted by toning spots on the obverse and a few marks in the reverse exergue. An example in the Ford Sale, Stack's 1/06, lot 805 in Choice EF, realized $1700
By renowned engraver John Crocker (unsigned). A magnificent medal that inventively captures the military action of Oct. 23, 1702 at Vigo Bay in Spain, where English and Dutch naval forces destroyed a Spanish and French fleet and took its treasure that was later coined into money in England. The exergue displays the date in Roman numerals as Oct. 12, the date on the Julian calendar, which was in use at the time of the battle.
Note: The John J. Ford sale by Stack's identifies four obverse and four reverse dies for the Betts-97 medal. The reverse is easily identified as reverse A by the die breaks ghrough GAL:ET. However, the obverse die does not match any known variety and is thus attributed by the consignor as 5-A. The key diagnostic is the position of the cross to the R in FRA with other minor positional differences throughout.
Estimated Value $700 - 800.
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| Realized $575 |
