(1781) Bronze Medal Betts-593, Barre Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,840 MS64 11-21-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-593 honors Brigadier General Daniel Morgan for his decisive victory at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, one of the most tactically brilliant engagements of the American Revolution. This bronze restrike, attributed to engraver Jean-Jacques Barre who served as Chief Engraver of the Paris Mint from 1842 to 1855, indicates mid-nineteenth-century production from recut or copied dies. The original medal was designed by Augustin Dupre as part of the Comitia Americana series authorized by the Continental Congress. Morgan's double-envelopment tactic at Cowpens effectively destroyed Banastre Tarleton's feared British Legion and turned the tide of the Southern Campaign. The obverse bears Morgan's portrait, while the reverse depicts the battle scene. Barre restrikes are identifiable by subtle differences in die work and were produced during a period of strong French-American collector interest in Revolutionary War medals.

Rarity Notes

Barre restrike in bronze, mid-19th century Paris Mint production. Scarcer than later cornucopia-edge restrikes.

Cross References

Betts-593; PCGS #545229