(1781) Bronze Medal Betts-597, Nathanael Greene Original Dies

Coin Details

Auction Record

$84,000 MS63 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-597 in bronze from original dies is the Comitia Americana medal honoring Major General Nathanael Greene, one of George Washington's most trusted and capable commanders. Greene's brilliant Southern Campaign of 1780-1781 is widely credited with wearing down British forces and forcing Cornwallis northward toward the trap at Yorktown. The Continental Congress authorized this medal in recognition of Greene's strategic genius, which combined aggressive maneuvering with calculated retreats to exhaust a superior enemy. The obverse features Greene's portrait, while the reverse depicts a military scene from his Southern Campaign, the Battle of Eutaw Springs or one of his other engagements. The "Original Dies" designation confirms this was struck at the Paris Mint from the eighteenth-century dies, making it a genuine contemporary product. Greene medals from original dies are among the most important items in Revolutionary War numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Bronze from original dies. Comitia Americana medal for Nathanael Greene. Extremely important. Very scarce.

Cross References

Betts-597; PCGS #935311