(1787) Bronze Medal Betts-557, Horatio Gates at Saratoga Original Dies

Coin Details

Auction Record

$16,800 MS63BN 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronze medal struck circa 1787 from original dies is the Horatio Gates at Saratoga medal (Betts-557), one of the Comitia Americana series. The original dies were engraved by Nicolas-Marie Gatteaux at the Paris Mint to honor Major General Horatio Gates for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga on October 17, 1777 — the turning point of the American Revolution that convinced France to enter the war as an American ally. The obverse portrays Gates, while the reverse depicts the moment of British General Burgoyne's surrender. This circa 1787 striking from original dies represents an early use of the dies, produced within a decade of the battle itself. The Gates medal holds particular historical importance as the Saratoga victory transformed the Revolution from a colonial rebellion into an international conflict.

Rarity Notes

Original dies striking, ca. 1787. Among the earliest impressions from these dies. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-557; Horatio Gates; Battle of Saratoga 1777; Comitia Americana; Gatteaux engraver