McLachlan-369, Breton-49, Eimer-657. 43.7 mm, 28.6 grams. Plain edge. Signed T. PINGO. The 1758 Louisbourg Taken medal, engraved by Thomas Pingo, occupies a central place in the narrative of British military awards and the numismatic history of North America. Struck to commemorate the British capture of Louisbourg during the Seven Years’ War — a pivotal event marking the beginning of French Canada’s fall — this medal was manufactured in gold, silver, and copper. Each metal type represents not only a gradation of rank among recipients but also a distinct rarity.
Silver Louisbourg Taken medals are central to the numismatic trade in colonial medals, with frequency of appearance notably higher than gold, but still rare over the historical record. The standout Geoffrey Bell Auctions sale (Toronto Coin Expo, Apr 2022) of the Michael Joffre specimen—provenanced to the Stack’s Q. David Bowers Collection and earlier Americana Sales—demands attention both for its CA$8,700 realized price and the depth of chain ownership. The Joffre and Adams collections consistently appear as formative touchstones in the history of rare medals crossing the auction block, and their diaspora has provided the core material for most notable auction results of the past fifteen years.
Noonans Mayfair’s May 2024 Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria catalogue documents a silver medal by Thomas Pingo (Lot 377), described as rare and attaining a hammer price of £2,800. This price aligns with the broader market consensus as described in the annual Medal Yearbook (2020 ed., £4,500–£5,500 as a guide for silver), and demonstrates that major UK-based militaria sale rooms continue to view the Pingo medal as a blue-chip item in the historic awards sector.
U.S. market appearances at Heritage Auctions and Stack’s Bowers show strengthening prices: $4,200 for a certified MS62 (NGC) piece in 2021; $9,000 for a PCGS MS62 medal in the 2025 Spring Showcase. These results echo the overall trend that certified high-grade medals with complete or premium provenance chains command substantial premiums compared to non-descript pieces. The appearance of a silver Louisbourg medal with its original case, as seen in Richard August’s collection, adds a further layer to potential value, as accessories and completeness can multiply collector demand and drive up auction outcomes.
Heritage’s auction records show the medals regularly “wear” mounting evidence or have suffered later repairs: this pattern is indicative of their status as wearable awards, rather than cabinet-only medals, adding to the historical and narrative premium. The Adams Collection repeatedly cycles through Stack’s and Heritage, as several lots have been offered in consecutive Americana Sales (2004, 2009, 2010) and in single-owner sales. Additional supporting evidence from PCGS, Barneby’s and other auction databases confirms that a genuine, clean and well-provenanced silver Louisbourg medal is a touchstone of North American military numismatics, with prices steadily rising above $7,000–$10,000 for exceptional pieces.
This particular example can be traced back to the Dutch dealer Jacques Shulman. It then found its way into the exceptional collection of John Adams, followed by the Costa Family. The medal has been carefully plugged just right of 12 o’clock, most visibly on the reverse in K in TAKEN, confirming a previous mounting consistent with other known examples of this type. It otherwise displays the normal evidence of wear, including a trace of rub and scattered hairlines. The overall presentation is fantastic.
Ex: Jacques Schulman (6/1965); John W. Adams Collection of French and Indian War Medals/FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2012), lot 3895; Costa Family Collection, Part I (Heritage, 8/2025), lot 3577.
McLachlan-369, Breton-49, Eimer-657. 43.7 mm, 28.6 grams. Plain edge. Signed T. PINGO. The 1758 Louisbourg Taken medal, engraved by Thomas Pingo, occupies a central place in the narrative of British military awards and the numismatic history of North America. Struck to commemorate the British capture of Louisbourg during the Seven Years’ War — a pivotal event marking the beginning of French Canada’s fall — this medal was manufactured in gold, silver, and copper. Each metal type represents not only a gradation of rank among recipients but also a distinct rarity.
Silver Louisbourg Taken medals are central to the numismatic trade in colonial medals, with frequency of appearance notably higher than gold, but still rare over the historical record. The standout Geoffrey Bell Auctions sale (Toronto Coin Expo, Apr 2022) of the Michael Joffre specimen—provenanced to the Stack’s Q. David Bowers Collection and earlier Americana Sales—demands attention both for its CA$8,700 realized price and the depth of chain ownership. The Joffre and Adams collections consistently appear as formative touchstones in the history of rare medals crossing the auction block, and their diaspora has provided the core material for most notable auction results of the past fifteen years.
Noonans Mayfair’s May 2024 Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria catalogue documents a silver medal by Thomas Pingo (Lot 377), described as rare and attaining a hammer price of £2,800. This price aligns with the broader market consensus as described in the annual Medal Yearbook (2020 ed., £4,500–£5,500 as a guide for silver), and demonstrates that major UK-based militaria sale rooms continue to view the Pingo medal as a blue-chip item in the historic awards sector.
U.S. market appearances at Heritage Auctions and Stack’s Bowers show strengthening prices: $4,200 for a certified MS62 (NGC) piece in 2021; $9,000 for a PCGS MS62 medal in the 2025 Spring Showcase. These results echo the overall trend that certified high-grade medals with complete or premium provenance chains command substantial premiums compared to non-descript pieces. The appearance of a silver Louisbourg medal with its original case, as seen in Richard August’s collection, adds a further layer to potential value, as accessories and completeness can multiply collector demand and drive up auction outcomes.
Heritage’s auction records show the medals regularly “wear” mounting evidence or have suffered later repairs: this pattern is indicative of their status as wearable awards, rather than cabinet-only medals, adding to the historical and narrative premium. The Adams Collection repeatedly cycles through Stack’s and Heritage, as several lots have been offered in consecutive Americana Sales (2004, 2009, 2010) and in single-owner sales. Additional supporting evidence from PCGS, Barneby’s and other auction databases confirms that a genuine, clean and well-provenanced silver Louisbourg medal is a touchstone of North American military numismatics, with prices steadily rising above $7,000–$10,000 for exceptional pieces.
This particular example can be traced back to the Dutch dealer Jacques Shulman. It then found its way into the exceptional collection of John Adams, followed by the Costa Family. The medal has been carefully plugged just right of 12 o’clock, most visibly on the reverse in K in TAKEN, confirming a previous mounting consistent with other known examples of this type. It otherwise displays the normal evidence of wear, including a trace of rub and scattered hairlines. The overall presentation is fantastic.
Ex: Jacques Schulman (6/1965); John W. Adams Collection of French and Indian War Medals/FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2012), lot 3895; Costa Family Collection, Part I (Heritage, 8/2025), lot 3577.
