Exonumia Auction - Maine Antique Digest

NAVAL MEDALSU.S. Mint MedalsLot 310310. JOHN PAUL JONES. NA-1. 57mm. Copper. Augustin Dupre,Sc. A nice Uncirculated example with medium brown patination onreflective surfaces. Several very tiny reverse edge nicks are notedfor the sake of accuracy. They are not distracting. The obversefeatures Capt. Jones’ quarter length bust to the right. The Latinlegend around may be translated as, “The American Congress toJohn Paul Jones, Commander of the Fleet.” The reverse showsJones’ converted merchantman, the Bonhomme Richard, her sideblasted open by an explosion in her magazine. Lying along sideis the British frigate, Serapis. The Latin legend may be translatedas,. “The enemy’s vessels captured or put to flight. “ and in theexergue, “Off the coast of Scotland, September 23, 1779.H80struck from the original dies at the Paris Mint in the 1845-60 periodas indicated by the edge mark of a pointing hand and CUIVRE. Atthis point in time, the dies have become rusty and small cuds arebeginning to form on the rim. ($1750+)311. CAPTAIN JOHNSTON BLAKELEY. NA-6; Neuzil 26. 65mm.Copper, bronzed. Moritz Furst, Sc. Uncirculated; a few scatteredminor field marks. Struck from the original dies. The obverse bearsa bust right of Blakeley with a Latin legend translated as, “JohnstonBlakeley, Commander of the American Federal Republic Ship,Wasp”. The reverse shows the Wasp engaging the British shipReindeer with a broadside. Both vessels are shown only slightlydamaged. The legend can be roughly translated as, “Alas, TwiceVictor, your country applauds and mourns you.” (This referenceis to Blakeley’s untimely death late in 1814). The exergue bearsthe date of the engagement and the names of the vessels, the actionLot 311having taken place on June 28, 1814. ($800-1200)312. IN STEPHEN DECATUR. NA-9; Neuzil 29. 65mm. Copper,Bronzed. .Moritz Furst, Sc. Choice About Uncirculated withreflective surfaces. The obverse bears the quarter length bust rightof Decatur and a legend that translates as, “Stephen Decatur, NavalCaptain, victor in many battles”. The reverse portrays the U.S.S.United States delivering a broadside to the crippled British frigateMacedonian. The legend translates as, “The enemy flag falls as thestars rise up”. In the exergue, “Between the American ship UnitedStates and the British ship Macedonian. October 25, 1812”.this is an early striking from the original dies. There is a diagnostic“blister” that appears immediately to the right of the S in PUGNIS.The die break that appears on the reverse of this medal is no moreprominent nor advanced that it appears on the original silverspecimen in our Dreyfuss and Middendorf Sales. A fine displayexample. ($1250+)313. COMMANDER DUNCAN INGRAHAM. NA-26. 102.3mm.Copper bronzed. Peter Cross (Obv.) & James Longacre (Rev.) Sc.Uncirculated, with a few minor field marks and a tiny planchetdefect in the left obverse field near the rim at 10:00. The obversepresents a view of the interior of Smyrna Harbor, with theAmerican sloop of war Saint Louis to the left and the Austriabrig Hussar to the right. The reverse features an inscription in ten