• Type: Medal / Medallic First Day Cover
• Brand: Franklin Mint
• Year: 1973
• Composition: Silver
• Fineness: 0.925
• Strike Type: Proof
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Circulated/Uncirculated: Uncirculated
• Certification: Uncertified
• Theme: Franklin Mint / Benjamin Franklin
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
• Precious Metal Content per Unit: [enter weight]

Description

The Franklin Mint honoring itself: this is the official medallic cover struck for the dedication of the Franklin Mint Museum of Medallic Art at Franklin Center, Pennsylvania, on July 10, 1973. The 39mm solid sterling silver proof medal is mounted in a cacheted cover that carries an 8¢ Flag over White House stamp, cancelled at Franklin Center on dedication day. The insert says it was issued in limited numbers, only to members of the Franklin Mint Collectors Society.

• Obverse: the Franklin Mint’s official emblem, a medallic portrait of Benjamin Franklin sculpted by co-founder and chief sculptor Gilroy Roberts
• Reverse: the circular museum building, by Vincent Miller, inscribed “Dedication July 10, 1973”
• Composition: solid sterling silver (.925), proof finish, 39mm
• Cover: cacheted “First Day of Issue” envelope with Franklin Center, PA dedication-day postmark
• Includes the original brown leatherette folio and the printed dedication history card

Condition: the medal shows bright, untoned proof surfaces through the cover window. The cover, cancel, folio and insert are clean. This is our in-hand assessment; the piece is not certified. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

Historical context: By 1973 the Franklin Mint called itself the world’s largest private mint, striking medals, collector series and even circulating coinage for nations like Jamaica and the Bahamas. Its Museum of Medallic Art opened beside the company headquarters to display proof examples of nearly everything the mint had struck, in themed galleries with audio-visual presentations. Medallic covers like this one, pairing a sterling medal with a dated postmark, became one of the mint’s signature 1970s products.

Silver value: this medal contains approximately [X] troy ounces of pure silver (.925 sterling).

Curiosity Coins — Medway, Massachusetts | Est. 1999 | ANA • PCGS • NGC • Heritage Auctions Member / Buying & selling US and world coins, silver, gold, currency, and collectibles since 1999. Many auctions start at $5 — combined shipping always available. Questions welcome.