1739 Bronze Medal Admiral Vernon, A-C PBv 41-NN

Coin Details

Auction Record

$720 AU58 02-21-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1739 bronze medal, cataloged as Adams-Chao PBv 41-NN, pairs obverse die 41 with double-letter reverse NN. The forty-first portrait die in the PBv series represents one of the absolute highest die numbers in the entire Vernon medal catalog, pushing production counts to levels that are almost unprecedented in eighteenth-century medallic art. Only a handful of PBv die numbers exceed 41, making this variety part of the ultimate tier of Vernon medal collecting. Reverse NN is correspondingly advanced in the double-letter sequence. Struck in copper alloy (AE), the PBv 41-NN variety is extremely scarce and may exist in only single-digit surviving examples. The forty-first obverse portrait die, each one hand-engraved by a skilled craftsman, represents a cumulative investment of hundreds of hours of die-sinking labor for the PBv series alone. This level of production demonstrates that the Vernon medal phenomenon was not merely a passing fad but a sustained commercial enterprise of remarkable scope.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. One of the highest PBv obverse die numbers ever recorded.

Cross References

A-C PBv 41-NN; PCGS #882545