1624 Silver Medal Betts-22, Prince of Orange

Coin Details

Auction Record

$6,600 AU Details 01-10-2022 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1624 silver medal, Betts-22, commemorates the Prince of Orange and Dutch colonial ambitions. By 1624, the Dutch West India Company (founded 1621) was aggressively establishing colonies and trading posts throughout the Western Hemisphere. In this year the Dutch established Fort Orange (present-day Albany, New York) and consolidated control of New Netherland. The Prince of Orange, as stadtholder, directed Dutch colonial policy and military operations against Spain and Portugal in the Americas. Many Betts medals exist in multiple metal compositions struck from the same dies, as mints typically produced gold or silver presentations for dignitaries alongside bronze or copper versions for wider distribution. This medal reflects the golden age of Dutch maritime expansion and the Republic's challenge to Iberian dominance in the New World.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Dutch colonial medals from the 1620s are exceptionally scarce.

Cross References

Betts-22