(1796) Bronze Medal Castorland - Original Plain Edge

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as W-9105 and identified as PCGS #826978, this original bronze Castorland medal with plain edge commemorates the ill-fated French colonial settlement of Castorland in northern New York State, established in 1793 by a company of French investors fleeing the Revolution. Struck in bronze, weighing 15 grams with a 32 mm diameter and plain edge, the medal's obverse features Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, symbolizing the colony's agrarian aspirations, while the reverse depicts a map or landscape scene referencing the settlement's location along the Black River in present-day Lewis County, New York. The Castorland venture — named for the beaver (castor in French) that inhabited the region — attracted aristocratic French emigres who envisioned a utopian agricultural community in the American wilderness, but harsh winters, poor planning, and the settlers' unfamiliarity with frontier conditions led to the colony's gradual failure by the early 1800s. The distinction between original strikings and later restrikes is critical for Castorland medals: originals from circa 1796 were produced in limited quantities as promotional pieces for the colonization company, while restrikes were made throughout the nineteenth century as collector demand grew. The plain edge variant distinguishes this from the reeded-edge restrikes cataloged separately. Very rare as a bronze original, this medal preserves a tangible connection to one of the most romantic and ultimately tragic episodes in Franco-American colonial history.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Bronze original.

Cross References

W-9105