101315 | UNITED STATES & FRANCE. Libertas Americana bronze Medal.

101315  |  UNITED STATES & FRANCE. Libertas Americana bronze Medal. Issued circa 1980 (47mm, 57.11 g, 12h). After A. Dupré.

 

LIBERTAS AMERICANA / 4 JUIL 1776, head of liberty left, with free flowing hair and Phrygian cap on pole / NON SINE DIIS ANIMOSUS INFANS (the infant is not bold without the aid of the gods, —adapted from Horace), France (as Athena) standing right, holding French shield and spear, and protecting America (as infant Herakles strangling serpent) from England (as a lion). Edge: «cornucopia» BRONZE.

 

Choice Mint State. Alluring light brown surfaces with a charming matte nature; some very light rub on the highpoints and a few subtle prints on the obverse prevent gem status. A very early copy from the modern series, featuring a faithful presentation of the original dies.

 

Designed in part by Benjamin Franklin, the popular "Libertas Americana" motif was thought of as emblematic of the fledgling, newly-established nation—wild and untamed, hopeful and, most importantly, free. Here, the allegorical Liberty exhibits free-flowing, unkempt hair, while a Phrygian cap—an ancient symbol throughout Thrace and Anatolia that later came to represent liberty—tops a pole over her shoulder. Continuing on as an iconic piece of iconography from early America, the design has been featured sporadically since, with the Paris mint offering copies utilizing the dies beginning with the bicentennial festivities in 1976, and various issues since in gold, silver, and bronze. While the more recent offerings feature thicker lettering and an antiquing that "feels" modern, early issues such as this are much more faithful reproductions of the original design, with more intricate detail and natural surfaces.

 

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