Watch List notes:

Uruguay, silver medal, 1846, Medal of Honor for General Garibaldi for his participation in the Battle of San Antonio, struck on a Montevideo siege peso of 1844 (date erased). 28.5 grams. Unique medal with raised center showing legend INVINCIBLES COMBATIERON around EL 8 DE FEBRERO 1846 in the center, struck on the reverse of a Uruguayan peso of 1844 (KM-5, a rarity in itself) but with that date effaced on the coin, looped for suspension, toned XF overall. In the Battle of San Antonio, 200 members of the Italian Legion took part and suffered 30 dead and 53 injured men. While the usual silver oval medal awarded to the soldiers on that occasion is already quite scarce, the present specimen is naturally of another magnitude in importance due to its uniqueness and the historical figure it was awarded to. A copy of the corresponding decree can be found on pp. 187-188 in the scarce work Boletin Historico Estado Mayor del Ejercito, no. 21 (1941). Pedigreed to the Superior auction of June 7-10, 1987, and originally acquired by a Mr. Giusseppe Tagliafico in Tunis, also pedigreed to our Auction #7 (lot #1821).
(1000 - 1500 USD)