Modern Restrikes

About This Coin

Produced at the Paris Mint and occasionally at the Philadelphia Mint from nineteenth-century and modern dies, Modern Restrikes of the Libertas Americana medal make Benjamin Franklin's celebrated 1781 design accessible to collectors who cannot acquire the prohibitively rare original strikes. The Paris Mint has maintained the tradition of restriking historical medals from its extensive die archive, and the Libertas Americana — one of the most famous products of the Paris Mint's medallic workshop — has been restruck periodically in various metals and finishes to satisfy collector and institutional demand. Modern restrikes are distinguished from original eighteenth-century strikes by differences in edge treatment, die state characteristics, planchet composition, and surface finish, though the fundamental design — Augustin Dupre's masterful Liberty portrait on the obverse and the infant Hercules allegory on the reverse — remains faithful to Franklin's original conception. The Paris Mint has produced restrikes in bronze, silver, and occasionally gold, with proof and specimen finishes providing the mirror-like surfaces that modern collectors expect from mint-fresh medallic products. The availability of high-quality restrikes has not diminished the market for original strikes, which continue to command enormous premiums based on their eighteenth-century provenance and their direct connection to Franklin's diplomatic campaign in France. Instead, the restrikes serve a complementary market function, allowing collectors, museums, and educational institutions to own examples of one of the most important medals in American history at accessible price points. Authentication and dating of Libertas Americana medals requires careful analysis of die state, edge characteristics, and metallic composition, as the long history of restrike production has created a complex population that spans more than two centuries of minting. Modern proof restrikes in silver and gold represent the premium tier of the restrike market, with gem-quality specimens achieving four-figure prices at major auctions.