(Ca. 1784) Johan Derk Van Der Capellen portrait medallion by Jean-Martin Renaud. Terracotta. 52 mm. Forrer V, p. 92.

Bust of Van Der Capellen to right, LIBERTATIS RESTAURATOR around, Renaud signature on truncation of shoulder. Back unmarked and blank. Broken and fairly neatly repaired at top. Small chip at rim above A of LIBERTATIS. Attractive deep brick red color and nice relief on the portrait. One of the primary champions of the American cause in the Netherlands, Van Der Capellen was a Dutch politician who fought for recognition of the new nation and helped spearhead a substantial loan in 1782. A medal honoring him in 1783 has been adopted into the Betts series. This particular specimen was once owned by George Fuld, who mistook the portrait for Lafayette. Melvin Fuld published this piece as such, in an update to the Fuld monograph on Lafayette ( The Numismatist, September 1957) published in TAMS Journal in October 1968. Fuld assigned this piece number Fuld-LA.ME.11-A and illustrated it on page 152.

From the Richard Margolis Collection. Earlier from the George Fuld Collection; Byron Hoke at the New York International Numismatic Convention, January 1979.

Estimate: $400