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FRIDAY JULY 28, 2023 • VOL. 53, NO. 30
Revolutionary War Hero’s Gold Medal Goes On Display Unique Medal Now Exhibited At Museum Of The American Revolution In Philadelphia A gold medal celebrating the Revolutionary War victory by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan over British Army forces in the
event in early American history and honors a Revolutionary War hero who often is overlooked today,” said Hendelson. “After 182
one-of-a-kind gold medal was among the items stolen in a burglary at the Pittsburgh Farmers and Mechanics Bank 1818. It was never recovered. Morgan’s grandson, Morgan Lafayette Neville, was an executive of the bank. In 1819, he began efforts to get a replacement medal, including writing to former President Thomas Jefferson, who carried the original medal with him when he returned from Paris in 1789 to become the first U.S. Secretary of State. Eventually, in July 1836, Congress approved “An Act to renew the gold medal struck and presented to General Morgan, by order of Congress, in honor of the battle of Cowpens.” But the grandson died three years later in March 1839 before the medal was created.
has been privately owned by others, including the family of banker, financier, and philanthropist John Pierpont Morgan Jr. Known as the Comitia Americana (Latin for American Congress) series, Congress authorized only seven gold medals for heroes of the American Revolution. However, apparently only six were actually made for individual recipients, and the Morgan medal is the only one now privately owned. The six who received medals were Gen. George Washington, Gen. Horatio Gates, Gen. Anthony Wayne, Gen. Nathanael Greene, Capt. John Paul Jones (whose original medal has not been seen since his death in 1792 and may have been melted), and Gen. Daniel Morgan. A medal authorized for Gen. Henry Lee
Fine Books And Manuscripts Sale Realizes $628,000 First-Edition, First Issue Copy Of Charles Dickens’ (1812-70) “Great Expectations” Sells For $24,000 Potter & Potter Auctions held a signature early summer Books and Manuscripts sale on June 1. It featured 510 lots and had a 97-percent sell-through rate. All prices noted include the company’s 20-percent premium. This auction featured fine selections of groundbreaking first-edition publications. Charles Dickens’ (1812-70) “Great Expectations” was estimated at $8,000-$12,000 and sold for $24,000. This first-edition, first issue copy was printed in London by C. Whiting for Chapman and Hall in 1861. Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s (18901937) “The Outsider and Others” was estimated at $4,000-$6,000 and made $11,400. This first-edition of Continued on page 4
Embassy Sells 1920s Cast-Iron Mr. Peanut Figure For $9,500
The “Daniel Morgan at Cowpens” gold medal was purchased for $960,000 by Brian Hendelson of New Jersey and is now on display at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (front view). Photo courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. 1781 Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina is making its first appearance since it sold at auction for $960,000 in April 2022. It apparently also is the first time it is available for general public viewing since its creation in 1839. The winning bidder in the Stack’s Bowers auction was Brian Hendelson, president of Classic Coin Company in Bridgewater, N.J., who has loaned the historic medal and its original red leather and purple velvet presentation case to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. It is a featured part of the exhibit titled “At War With a South Carolina Regiment, 17791782” that is currently on display at the museum through 2023. “I’ve collected early Americana for many years, including historical treasures from the Revolutionary War period. Adding the Daniel Morgan at Cowpens gold medal to my collection certainly is a tremendous honor. It commemorates an important
years hidden away with previous owners, I’m delighted to loan this national treasure to the museum so it now can be seen and appreciated by many people,” he explained. Morgan led his Continental troops in a decisive victory over British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton on Jan. 17, 1781, at what is now the Cowpens National Battlefield in Gaffney, S.C. The museum’s description of the battle states: “The Battle of Cowpens turned the tide of the war in the South. While British forces still held the coastal cities of Charleston and Savannah, the Revolutionaries gradually reclaimed control of the countryside.” In March 1781, Congress authorized the creation of a large gold medal to honor Morgan. Struck in Paris by the French engraver Augustin Dupre, it measured 56 millimeters in diameter and weighed 4.8 troy ounces. Morgan received the medal in 1790. He died in 1802, and his
World Record Achieved For Figure By Karl Pass
The “Daniel Morgan at Cowpens” gold medal was purchased for $960,000 by Brian Hendelson of New Jersey and is now on display at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia (back view). Photo courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. Finally, in December 1839, based on the design from Paris used to create the stolen and missing medal, the Philadelphia Mint struck a single Morgan at Cowpens medal weighing 4.79 ounces of fine gold. It was subsequently presented in 1841 to Morgan’s great-grandson, Morgan Lafayette Neville Jr., and it remained in the family until 1914. Since then, it
apparently was never struck. The nonprofit Museum of the American Revolution is located at 101 S. 3rd St. near Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission tickets can be purchased by calling 215-253-6731, obtained for a $3 discount online at www.AmRevMuseum.org, or purchased at the museum’s front desk.
A ca. 1920s cast-iron figure of Mr. Peanut took top honors at Embassy Auctions International’s June 29 sale. Embassy is based in Kinzers, Pa. The Mr. Peanut statue (the famous face of Planters Peanuts) was 40.5 inches tall and had minor wear to painted surface. It was considered a rare example of early advertising from the iconic and collectible brand. Other highlights from the diverse sale included an antique, ca. 1880 Louis Continued on page 6
In This Issue SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 4 EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR . on page 5 AUCTION SALE BILLS . . starting on page 5 AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . on page 6
FEATURE AUCTION: Morphy’s Toys And General Collectibles Auction, August 2 And 3 - Page 2
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . .on page 7