(1631) Medal Betts-31, Pernambuco

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,360 UNC Details 08-24-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This medal, Betts-31, commemorates events surrounding the Dutch conquest of Pernambuco in Brazil around 1631. Following the initial capture of Recife in 1630, the Dutch West India Company spent several years consolidating control over surrounding sugar plantations and coastal towns. The campaign was prolonged, with Portuguese and Brazilian colonists mounting fierce guerrilla resistance. Despite these challenges, Dutch Brazil grew to encompass much of northeastern Brazil's coastline, becoming a major source of sugar, dyewood, and tropical products. Colonial medals served multiple functions simultaneously: as propaganda tools promoting imperial policy, as diplomatic gifts establishing relationships with indigenous peoples and rival powers, and as commemorative art preserving historical memory. This medal variant documents the ongoing military operations following the initial conquest, providing a numismatic record of one of the most significant colonial campaigns in South American history.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Medals documenting the Dutch-Portuguese struggle for Brazil are scarce.

Cross References

Betts-31