(c. 1810) Medal Fuld FR.ME.NL.10, GM-24 Obv Cliche, Silvered Copper

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,040 MS63 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This silvered copper medal from circa 1810, cataloged as Fuld FR.ME.NL.10 and GM-24, is an obverse cliche from the Benjamin Franklin memorial medal series. The silvered copper composition — base copper with an applied silver wash — creates a silver-like appearance at a fraction of the cost of solid silver, a common treatment for medals intended for broader distribution. Like the bronze version (PCGS #935206), this obverse cliche is a uniface impression showing only the obverse die, providing a study piece for the Franklin memorial portrait. The GM-24 designation in the Greenslet-Musante catalog distinguishes this silvered copper variant from the plain bronze GM-25 version. The presence of multiple metal variants in cliche form indicates these was produced as salesman's samples or collector pieces rather than purely as die trials. Franklin memorial medals in all their varieties constitute one of the most extensively cataloged areas of American medallic art.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Silvered copper obverse cliche, GM-24. Die trials and cliches in silvered metal are particularly scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #935205; Fuld FR.ME.NL.10; GM-24; Benjamin Franklin; Obverse Cliche; Silvered Copper; c.1810