1602 Silver Medal Betts-21, New World Rivalry

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,040 XF45 08-23-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1602 silver medal, Betts-21, commemorates New World rivalry among European powers. In 1602, the Dutch East India Company was founded, Bartholomew Gosnold explored New England and named Cape Cod, and Sebastian Vizcaino mapped the California coast for Spain. The medal captures the intense competition among maritime powers that would shape the Americas for centuries. Struck in silver, this piece was intended for diplomats, merchants, or court officials involved in colonial ventures. European courts employed specialized medalists whose skills in miniature portraiture and allegorical composition made them essential figures in the propaganda machinery that supported colonial expansion. Its presence in the Betts catalog underscores its importance as a document of early American colonial history at a pivotal moment when multiple European nations were actively competing for territorial claims.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Silver medals from this early period rarely appear at auction.

Cross References

Betts-21