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THE 1763 CHARLESTOWN SOCIAL CLUB MEDAL
Here's a piece that turned my head in a Heritage Coin World ad - the enigmatic 1763 Charlestown Social Club medal, consigned by John W. Adams. Great piece, and in superb condition.
-Editor
1763 Charlestown Social Club, XF-AU
Betts-508. 1763 Charlestown Social Club. Bronze. XF-AU. 33.5 x 36.0 mm, 16.5 gm. Unsigned. One of only three examples known, this is one of only two available to collectors as the third example resides at the Massachusetts Historical Society. This oval piece features two men in eighteenth century dress shaking hands at center. They are standing outdoors with a tree to the left and a church and other buildings in the background at right. The legend translates as, "Bound in friendship." Text covers the back in six lines and reads, "SOCIAL CLUB INSTITUTED CHARLES TOWN SOUTH CAROLINA VI OCTOBER MDCCLXIII." Despite extensive research over the course of decades, no information concerning the club has been unearthed. As John Kraljevich wrote in Coin World in September 2011, "As early as 1856, Boston numismatist Jeremiah Colburn, wrote to antiquarians in Charleston trying to figure out which club produced the medals, and he even managed to find the last surviving member of a group called the Charles Town Social Club. No one knew a thing about the medals. The trail has only gotten colder since." A beautifully preserved example, this piece features attractive chocolate-brown color overall, with gorgeous mint color and luster present at many of the protected areas. The few marks present are minuscule. A small die break appears on the reverse to the right of MDCCLXIII. Ex: Glendining (12/1922), lot 77; John J. Ford, Jr. (10/1972); Lucien M. LaRiviere Collection, Part II (Bowers and Merena, 3/2001), lot 2107; Purchased from Ted Craige. From The John W. Adams Collection.
The headline calls it "the sole collectible example", but the description says there are two. With three known examples and one in the Massachusetts Historical Society, where is the third? I asked John Adams and he confirms that the headline is incorrect - there are two privately held specimens.
-Editor
To read the complete lot description, see:
Lot 3068. Betts-508. 1763 Charlestown Social Club. Bronze.
(coins.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=1201&lotNo=3068)
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