Catalog Reference

Adams-Bentley 14
A.J.N., VII, 49
Fuld FR.M.NL.5
Greenslet GM-35

Accomplished by Dupre in thoughtful form, this type depicts a motif that goes along with the legend, from Turgot, translating as "He snatched lightning from the heavens and the scepter from tyrants." It ranks high on most Betts connoisseurs' want lists, particularly for its adoptive place into the Comitia Americana series, via its connection to Franklin and Dupre. Even so, the type has always been something of a mystery to collectors, the different die pairings and striking periods causing some confusion. The first medals struck with the Natus Boston obverse type had for their reverse the standing Genius type, as here. Soon after this combination was first mounted in the press the reverse quickly developed a break in its center which must have proved fatal to the die. In tandem, the obverse became very rusty quite quickly. The broken reverse was replaced by a new one, also signed DUPRE, with an oak wreath and inscription as its type (Betts-620). This reverse, married to the obverse in the latter's rusty state, eventually broke apart sometime before 1845 to 1860. It was replaced by two dies, one a close copy of itself and the other a copy of the earlier Genius type. Both of these reverse dies appear to have been in the press 1845 to 1860. Finally, sometime before 1880, the original obverse was sent to the repair shop, its rusty fields were ground down and the engraver's name repunched, and the newly refinished die was married to the replacement Genius type die.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the Sydney F. Martin Part 5 Collection, where it realized $5,040.