Robert Lovett Jr Gallery: Historical Series

ROBERT LOVETT JR. HISTORICAL SERIES

Robert Lovett Jr. engraved and struck a series of three medals celebrating well known events in American history, probably sometime in the 1860's. Examples of all three are known in silver, copper, brass, and white metal. There are no records I know of indicating how many were produced but brass and copper examples are fairly common; silver examples rather rare. The Penn's Treaty die and Washington Before Boston dies are found muled with other dies. The Standard Catalog of U.S. Tokens does list a muling of the obverse Constitution and Guerriere die with Robert Jr's storecard die, in copper and white metal, but I have not seen either of these.

William Penn's Treaty with the Indians

On March 4, 1681 King Charles II signed the charter granting William Penn the land that would eventually become the State of Pennsylvania. He soon realized, or was informed, that most of this land was held by various Native American tribes. He and his agents began the process of buying land from these tribes. The scene depicted on these medals is William Penn signing the "Great Treaty" in 1682 in the village of Shackamaxon.

Painting by William Hicks, 1847

Lovett's Series No. 1 - Penn's Treaty

Silver, reeded edge, 31mm

Copper, reeded edge, 31mm

Copper, plain edge, 30.6mm

Brass, reeded edge, 31mm

Brass, plain edge, 30.6mm

White metal, plain edge, 31mm

Penn's Treaty Tree

from "American Historical Trees"

Harper's New Monthly Magazine, May 1862

Penn's Treaty Tree was a large American Elm on the bank of the

Delaware River in what is now Kensington Precinct, Philadelphia.

Twenty years after the treaty was signed William Penn tried to purchase

the land the tree stood on to make it his permanent residence in

Pennsylvania. The tree succumbed to a wind storm on March 3rd, 1810;

it was determined to be 283 years old with a trunk 24 feet in diameter.

Penn's Treaty Bicentennial Medal

Pa-Ph A255, brass, 31mm

Pa-Ph A255A, silver, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

Pa-Ph A255B, copper, 31mm

(image courtesy of Steve Hayden)

Pa-Ph A255C, white metal, 31mm

Although the pieces above use Robert Jr's Penn's Treaty die they were most likely not struck by him as the Bicentennial celebration was 3 years after his death.

Advertising Card for A.C. Yates & Co.

THE SIEGE OF BOSTON

The Siege of Boston, begun on April 19, 1775, was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. The New England Militiamen, led by George Washington, surrounded the city to prevent any movement by land of the British troops stationed there. The British eventually captured Breeds and Bunker hill in June of 1775 but still could not break the American siege. The British Commander William Howe realized he could no longer hold the town and on March 17, 1776 withdrew his troops.

The Washington on horseback image is very reminiscent of the Comitia Americana medal that was authorized by the Continental Congress and executed by Pierre Simon Benjamin DuVivier commemorating this event.

Lovett's Series No. 2 - Siege of Boston

Baker 50, silver, 31.7mm

Baker 50A, copper, 31mm

Baker 50B, brass, 31.5mm

Baker 50C, white metal - reeded edge, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

Baker 50D, white metal - plain edge, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

Baker 50J, copper, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

Baker 50K, brass, 31mm

(image courtesy of Stacks Bowers)

Baker 50L, white metal, 31mm

Type of Baker 50L, gilt, 31mm

Note that on the previous four pieces legends are missing from both obverse and reverse and all the details are very soft. These are listed as different varieties in Baker but was this intentional or simply the case of using very well worn dies?

Siege of Boston Mules

Robert Lovett Jr. muled his 'Washington Before Boston' die with several other dies. Examples are known in silver and copper and all are very scarce.

Draped Bust Mule

Baker 51, silver, 31mm

(image courtesy of Stack's Bowers Numismatics)

Baker 51A, copper, 31mm

Washington Security Mule

Baker 52, copper, reeded edge, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

Baker 52A, copper, plain edge, 31mm

Undraped Bust Mule

Baker 52F, silver, 31mm

Baker 52G, copper, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

Pro Patria Mule

GW-250, Baker 270, silver - reeded edge, 31.6mm

GW-250, Baker 270, silver - plain edge, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

GW-250, Baker 270A, copper - reeded edge, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

GW-250, Baker 270A, copper - plain edge, 31mm

IMAGE NEEDED

Sage Historical Series No. 7 Mule

This obverse die was created by his brother, George H., for the Sage

Historical series and this muling was done by him.

GW-297, white metal, 31mm

(image courtesy of Stacks Bowers)

GW-297, copper, 31mm

(image courtesy of Heritage)

Musante list only the copper and white metal varieties, Bowers

list silver, copper, brass, and white metal.

THE BATTLE OF THE CONSTITUTION AND GUERRIERE

The battle between the U.S. Frigate Constitution and the HMS Guerriere on August 19, 1812 proved to be the first of several victories by the young American Navy in ship-to-ship contest against the more experienced British Navy. Although smaller in size and number of guns and crewman than the Constitution the captain of the HMS Guerriere was confident in the long tradition of British victory over European enemies in such combat. But after a little more than an hour of intense fighting the British ship was a wrecked hulk and was forced to surrender. Her crew was taken on board the Constitution and she was set afire. The Constitution returned to Boston on August 30 where she still is today and is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel.