George Washington. The Andrew Canel Medal, 2nd dies. CU Medal (46mm, 2h). By an uncertain medallist in Trieste. Dated 22 February 1732 and 22 February 1841. PCGS AU 58.

Electronic Auction 563
Lot: 1139.
Closing Date: Jun 5 2024 10:00 ET

United States Medals, Copper

Estimate: $ 500

BID NOW

George Washington. The Andrew Canel Medal, 2nd dies. CU Medal (46mm, 2h). By an uncertain medallist in Trieste. Dated 22 February 1732 and 22 February 1841. GEO WASHINGTON BORN FEBY 22, 1732 TRIESTE FEBY 22 1841, eagle facing with wings spread, head left, clutching ribbon in beak and olive branch and arrows in claws / PRESENTED/ TO/ ANDREW CANEL/ BY/ THE AMERICANS/ FOR HIS GENTLEMANLY/ HOSPITALITY/ ON THE FOREGOING/ OCCASION; all within border of 26 stars with LIBERTY at top. Musante GW-159; Baker –; Rulau & Fuld K-678. In PCGS encapsulation 46592427, graded AU 58. Extremely rare.

Andrew (or Andrea) Canel was an Italian shipping magnate from Trieste, then in the Austrian Empire. This medal was apparently struck to commemorate a banquet he hosted for the American ship captains among his clients. Baker does not list the medal at all, likely because it did not bear a portrait of Washington, while neither Musante nor Rulau & Fuld expound on the occasion for its creation. The earliest reference describing the medal that this cataloger could find is on page 267 of Storia Cronografica di Trieste, published in 1865. That reference erroneously describes the medal as being issued for the anniversary of independence, rather than Washington’s birthday, but otherwise notes the circumstances of its creation. The type is known from two sets of dies, with the first and finer style found only in silver. The above mentioned Italian reference also states that copies of the medal were reportedly struck in 1858, though it is not certain which set of dies was struck when.

Regardless of the die pairing and date of striking, this medal is extremely rare. In the Syd Martin Collection (Part II, Stack’s Bowers Galleries, 28 October 2022), lot 2147, the cataloger recorded only six examples from these dies.

Closing Date and Time: 5 June 2024 at 16:19:20 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.