1739 Bronze Medal Admiral Vernon, A-C PBvi 15-R

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 VF30 02-21-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1739 bronze medal, cataloged as Adams-Chao PBvi 15-R, pairs obverse die 15 with reverse die R. The fifteenth obverse die in the PBvi series is among the highest numbered, indicating this variety was produced during the final phase of the Vernon Portrait and Icons medal run. The R reverse may feature a simplified or modified Porto Bello design compared to earlier reverses, as die sinkers working on late-phase production sometimes streamlined their designs to reduce cutting time and cost. Alternatively, late dies sometimes show the highest artistic quality as craftsmen refined their technique through experience with earlier dies. Struck in copper alloy (AE), the PBvi 15-R variety is noteworthy for its high obverse die number in a subgroup that represents the commercial apex of the Vernon medal phenomenon. Vernon's Porto Bello victory generated more medallic varieties than any other single event in eighteenth-century British history.

Rarity Notes

Rare. One of the highest-numbered PBvi obverse dies, produced in limited quantities.

Cross References

A-C PBvi 15-R; PCGS #930219