"1796" Gold Medal Castorland Restrike

Coin Details

Description

Struck in gold from dies originally prepared for the 1796 Castorland medal, this restrike (W-9155) connects to an ambitious French colonial settlement in northern New York. The Compagnie de New York purchased a vast tract in present-day Lewis County in 1793, naming it Castorland after the beaver (castor in French). The obverse features Ceres, goddess of agriculture, beside a maple tree with a coiled serpent, surrounded by FRANCO-AMERICANA COLONIA. The reverse shows Fortune at a ship's rudder with SALVE MAGNA PARENS FRUGUM ("Hail, Great Mother of Crops," from Virgil). At 32 mm with a reeded edge (PCGS #535046), gold restrikes are extremely rare, as the precious metal elevated both cost and significance far beyond standard bronze issues. Restrikes were produced during the nineteenth century using original dies preserved at the Paris Mint. The Castorland venture largely failed against harsh northern New York winters, but the medals endure as some of the most beautiful pieces in the Franco-American numismatic series.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Gold restrike.

Cross References

W-9155