1739 Bronze Medal Admiral Vernon, A-C PBv 39-LL

Coin Details

Auction Record

$408 AU53 02-21-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1739 bronze medal, cataloged as Adams-Chao PBv 39-LL, pairs obverse die 39 with double-letter reverse LL. The thirty-ninth portrait die in the PBv series is one of the very last obverse dies recorded in the Adams-Chao catalog for this subgroup. Reverse LL continues the double-letter progression that began when the standard alphabet was exhausted. The PBv 39-LL combination represents the final frontier of Vernon portrait medal production, where only the most dedicated die sinkers continued cutting new combinations. Struck in copper alloy (AE), this medal is among the rarest pieces in the entire Vernon medal series. The existence of obverse die 39 in a private medal series from the 1730s is astonishing — no government mint of the period routinely produced this many obverse dies for a single coin type, let alone a private commemorative medal. The PBv 39-LL variety documents the Vernon medal industry at its most extreme.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. One of the very highest PBv die pairings known, surviving in only a few examples.

Cross References

A-C PBv 39-LL; PCGS #930191