1781 Bronze Medal Betts-593, Morgan at Cowpens Original Dies

Coin Details

Auction Record

$264,000 MS64BN 11-21-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1781 bronze medal (Betts-593) honors Brigadier General Daniel Morgan for his victory at the Battle of Cowpens, struck from original dies. Morgan's tactical masterpiece at Cowpens on January 17, 1781 is studied at military academies worldwide as a textbook example of a double envelopment — a maneuver that deliberately uses retreating troops to lure the enemy into a killing zone. Morgan destroyed Banastre Tarleton's elite British force, capturing over 800 prisoners and turning the tide of the Southern Campaign. The Betts-593 medal differs from the better-known Betts-595 (the Battle of Cowpens medal) in its focus on Morgan personally rather than the battle scene. Colonial-era medals were produced at royal mints, private workshops, and jewelers' studios across Europe, with production quality ranging from masterfully engraved official issues to crudely cast provincial pieces. The original dies designation confirms this is an early striking from the first die pair.

Rarity Notes

Original dies striking in bronze. Morgan at Cowpens Comitia Americana design. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-593; Daniel Morgan; Battle of Cowpens 1781; Comitia Americana; original dies