1629 Silver Medal Betts-29, Matanzas

Coin Details

Description

The 1629 silver medal cataloged as Betts-29 is a third medallic variety commemorating the Dutch capture of the Spanish Silver Fleet at Matanzas Bay. The sheer number of medal varieties produced for this single event — Betts catalogs multiple entries from Betts-24 through Betts-29 — reflects the unprecedented excitement generated throughout the Dutch Republic by Piet Heyn's victory. The capture yielded treasure worth approximately 11.5 million guilders, equivalent to roughly two-thirds of the Dutch West India Company's total capitalization. This windfall allowed the company to pay its first and only dividend of 50 percent to shareholders while simultaneously financing the conquest of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. The medal varieties differ in their artistic treatment of the event, with various engravers producing their own interpretations of the naval engagement, the captured treasure, and the heroic figure of Admiral Heyn. This silver striking represents one of the later die varieties in the Matanzas group, potentially produced slightly after the initial wave of celebratory medals. Betts carefully distinguished these varieties in his catalog, recognizing that each represents a distinct artistic and historical document of the event. The Matanzas group collectively forms one of the most important clusters of American-related medals from the seventeenth century.

Rarity Notes

Rare. One of several Matanzas Bay medal varieties. Silver strikings of any variety in this group are sought after by colonial and naval numismatists.

Cross References

Betts-29; PCGS #948264