Don’t Tread on Me 2 oz Silver Round

A coiled rattlesnake takes its place inside a circle of fifty stars on this two-ounce .999 fine silver round from Intaglio Mint. The deeply dished, hand-hammered center and textured surrounding field give the familiar emblem a distinctive setting, framed by “DON’T TREAD ON ME” and “LIVE FREE OR DIE.”

Two Mottos, Two Historical Connections

The rattlesnake and “Don’t Tread on Me” are associated with the Gadsden flag of the American Revolution. In early 1776, Continental Navy commander Esek Hopkins used a personal standard designed by Christopher Gadsden of South Carolina. It showed a rattlesnake poised to strike on a yellow field, with the warning beneath it.

The other inscription has its own history. General John Stark used “Live Free or Die” in an 1809 letter connected with a commemoration of the Battle of Bennington. The words later became New Hampshire’s official state motto, giving this round a second connection to the Revolutionary generation.

Intaglio Mint brings those separate references together in a modern composition. The fifty surrounding stars represent the present-day union of states, rather than the thirteen colonies of the Revolutionary era. That combination makes the design a contemporary interpretation of historic symbols, not a reproduction of an eighteenth-century flag.

Design Details

The contrast between the hammered central dish and the outer texture gives the coiled snake a strong focal position. On the reverse, a radial burst and stippled border provide a different arrangement of surfaces around the mint’s logo.

• Obverse: A coiled rattlesnake within fifty stars, set in a high-relief, deeply dished hand-hammered center. “DON’T TREAD ON ME” appears above and “LIVE FREE OR DIE” below.
• Reverse: The high-relief Intaglio Mint logo on a radial burst, surrounded by a stippled border bearing “TWO TROY OUNCES,” “.999 FINE SILVER” and the date “2023.”

Specifications

• Weight: 2 troy ounces
• Purity: .999 fine silver
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Thickness: Approximately 6 mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated

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