(1776) Silver Libertas Americana Medal - 2014 Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 PR70DCAM 05-19-2019 eBay

Description

A silver restrike of the Libertas Americana medal produced by the Monnaie de Paris in 2014. This represents one of the most recent vintage years in the restrike program, issued more than 230 years after Augustin Dupre created the original design for Benjamin Franklin. The 2014 silver restrike benefits from modern striking technology while faithfully reproducing Dupre's 18th-century artistry. The Monnaie de Paris, as the direct institutional descendant of the mint that produced the originals, maintains unique authority in creating these restrikes. Silver shows Dupre's design to excellent advantage, with the bright white metal providing strong contrast between the raised design elements and the field. Original silver Libertas Americana medals from the 1780s are great rarities, with fewer than a dozen survive. The reverse scene of Minerva defending infant Hercules against the British lion was considered so powerful that it was copied and adapted for decades. The design's influence can be traced through early American coinage, French Revolutionary imagery, and 19th-century commemorative art. The 2014 silver restrike is accessible to both established collectors and newcomers. Silver versions are produced in smaller quantities than bronze across all vintage years, and each year's production becomes its own collectible with date-specific scarcity.

Rarity Notes

Moderately scarce. Silver restrikes are the most popular precious-metal format but are produced in limited quantities.

Cross References

Betts-615 (original); Monnaie de Paris 2014 silver restrike