1629 Silver Medal Betts-24, Matanzas
Strike TypeCoin Details
Auction Record
- Price realized
- $12,000
- Sold
- Grade
- AU55
- Auction house
- Stack's Bowers
Description
This 1629 silver medal, Betts-24, commemorates the Battle of Matanzas Bay, one of the most dramatic naval engagements in colonial history. On September 8, 1629, Dutch Admiral Piet Heyn captured the entire Spanish Silver Fleet in Matanzas Bay, Cuba, seizing approximately 11.5 million guilders worth of silver, gold, indigo, and cargo. This was the only time the entire Spanish treasure fleet was captured, and the windfall funded the Dutch West India Company for years. Admiral Heyn became a national hero but died in battle the following year. The silver medal celebrates this extraordinary victory that demonstrated Spain's colonial vulnerability and the rising power of the Dutch Republic.
Cross References
Betts-24
External References
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