Baldwin's of St. James's
Auction 7 21 Jun 2017
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Foreign Coins and Medals, USA, Boston, City Medal, issued by the School Committee, engraved silver medal, 1796, crossed quills above an open book, 'The GIFT of FRANKLIN', rev. inscription, 'Adjudged by the School Committee as A REWARD of MERIT to Samuel Grant 1796', 35.5mm., pierced with small ring for suspension, good very fine and extremely rare
ex Watts collection
Samuel Grant was to become a well respected citizen of Boston, where he was born on 16 April, 1783, the son of Moses Grant (1742-1817), 'who refused to pay tribute to English tyranny...' He later a deacon of the Brattle Street Church. His grandfather, another Samuel, lived on Union Street. Grant traded first as Grant and Stone and then in 1817 established the The Line of Boston and Philadelphia Packets. He was a director of the Franlink Fire Insurance Company and represented Baring Brothers in Boston. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register records 'to his great satisfaction his possession of one of the first Franklin Medals'. In fact, the medal was first awarded in 1792 and Samuel Grant appears on the official list as one of only four Franklin Scholars for 1796. These early medals are rare with, in 1792, 14 awarded; in 1793, 18; 1794, none; 1795, 5; 1797 none; 1798, 3; 1799, 7; and 1800, 2.
Estimate: 300-500 GBP
ex Watts collection
Samuel Grant was to become a well respected citizen of Boston, where he was born on 16 April, 1783, the son of Moses Grant (1742-1817), 'who refused to pay tribute to English tyranny...' He later a deacon of the Brattle Street Church. His grandfather, another Samuel, lived on Union Street. Grant traded first as Grant and Stone and then in 1817 established the The Line of Boston and Philadelphia Packets. He was a director of the Franlink Fire Insurance Company and represented Baring Brothers in Boston. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register records 'to his great satisfaction his possession of one of the first Franklin Medals'. In fact, the medal was first awarded in 1792 and Samuel Grant appears on the official list as one of only four Franklin Scholars for 1796. These early medals are rare with, in 1792, 14 awarded; in 1793, 18; 1794, none; 1795, 5; 1797 none; 1798, 3; 1799, 7; and 1800, 2.
Estimate: 300-500 GBP