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Arthur Duke of Wellington 1819.


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DSCF0838.jpg. .

A gilded electrotype of T. Webb's 55mm 1819 medal for Wellington's appointment as Governor of Plymouth BHM#986. This is the second of my posting from a group of high quality electrotypes I purchased before Christmas, hope I post the rest a bit quicker.

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It is unifaced.

Here is the first one I posted http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?/topic/31480-7-bourbon-death-medals-in-1/page__hl__electrotype__fromsearch__1 and Clive asked about the date for that one, this was my reply;

"I suspect 1850's-1860's, but it is impossible to be sure, unless you can find historical documentation re a certain electrotype. I will be posting the others I acquired, when time permits, & it was easy to find most of the original medals that they were copied from. Merry xmas Clive.

In 1849 the world's most famous electrotype medal was made for the 1815 Battle of Waterloo after medallist Benedetto Pistrucci (1784-1855) had taken three decades to model it. Pinches had to electrolytically cast it because it was too large to strike with a pair of dies.

In 1851 William E. DuBois (1810-1881) begins using electrolysis at the U.S. Mint according to Kenneth Bressett. (Thanks to Julians post below: the date is now 1840 for electrotypes done at the U.S. Mint by Chief Coiner Franklin Peale.)

In 1860 DuBois replicated the 1804 dollar by electrolysis"

 

I have absolutely no evidence for the date, just a gut feeling, all of the group are superb unifaced copies, could have been for a museum display etc.

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I like!

 

Looks like a very good buy to me. I had thought that the date was later, but I really don't have much of a clue on that. I am however astounded to learn that the quality of electrotyping was that good in the 1840's. Looking forward to seeing the others in the batch, but that `Arfur really is quite a beaut. Well done that man.

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Both are nice. I know Ian prefers the Arthur, I'm nor sure myself. Both are nice examples of the electrotypes of the period. Great pieces.

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How do you distinguish a uniface electrotype from a struck uniface piece?

 

The old saying beauty is only skin deep, well the skin on this 28gram electrotype is a minimum of 3mm and here is what the reverse looks like, ugly!

DSCF0848.jpg

As electrotypes go the weight and thickness of this group I purchased puts them in the quality bracket.

 

The bust viewed from the reverse is concave, though this picture makes it appear convex.

 

"The most important thing you should remember about electroforming -- it replicates minute detail. In comparison with other methods of making numismatic items: foundry casting reproduces detail down to 1/100 of an inch, die striking reproduces detail down to 1/1000th of an inch, but electroforming reproduces detail down to the width of an atom!"

DSCF0850.jpg

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